#1  Easy and Cheap Cell Viability Assay = Crystal Violet Dye Elution A

1.      Plate 2x10^4 cells in 12 well format in triplicate (modified to
10^4 for 24well dish)

2.      The day of analysis, wash with PBS

3.      Fix 10% buffered formalin for 10min RT. Decant and allow plates to air dry

(using 200ul per 24well)

4.      Add 1% aqueous crystal violet for 10 min RT to stain, allow to dry
(in 20%MeOH in water)
(using 200ul per 24well)

5.      wash 6x with water carefully (running tap at very low flow)

6.      Solubilize dye with 33% glacial acetic acid (using 250ul for
24well) and dilute 1:4 in water (using 1:20 dilution – 50ul sample +
1ml d2H2O)

7.      measure absorbance at 600nm (Don't have this filter?  A 550nm
filter is ok.   **However, 630  nm  is NOT ok** because dye spectrum
already too low to measure effectively)


do day 1, 3, 5, 7 readings ….  or d1, d3, d6 readings.

*protocol seems to work ok for amounts of heLa cells tested (10^4/24
well), slow growing cells perhaps need to seed more cells…