Free tool · nothing is uploaded
How many vials does this experiment need?
A plate plan is a cell count, and a cell count is not what a vial label says. Post-thaw viability and attachment efficiency sit between the two, and both compound. This works the number through in the open, then prices it against list prices we have verified and dated.
Inputs
Defaults describe a mid-sized screen. Change any of them and every figure below recomputes.
The arithmetic
Every step, in order, so the total can be checked rather than trusted.
| Step | Quantity | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells to fill | 96 wells/plate × 4 plates × 3 replicates | 1,152 |
| 2 | Cells attached on plastic | 1,152 wells × 40,000 cells/well | 46,080,000 |
| 3 | Viable cells to seed | 46,080,000 ÷ 0.70 attachment efficiency | 65,828,571 |
| 4 | Nominal cells to order | 65,828,571 ÷ 0.80 post-thaw viability | 82,285,714 |
| 5 | Seeding density | 40,000 cells/well ÷ 0.32 cm² growth area | 125,000 /cm² |
| 6 | Overall yield from label | 0.80 viability × 0.70 attachment | 56.0% |
Step 4 is the figure to put in a purchase order. Steps 3 and 4 divide rather than multiply, which is why a plan built by taking the well count and adding a comfortable margin comes up short: at the defaults the losses inflate the order by 79 percent, not by the 44 percent a subtraction would suggest.
Vials required
At the vial sizes suppliers in this catalogue publish. Vials are whole units, so each row rounds up and carries a surplus.
| Vial size | Vials | Cells delivered | Surplus | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 × 10⁶ | 165 | 82,500,000 | 214,286 (0.3%) | Surplus within a quarter of the order. Bank it or carry it as the spare thaw. |
| 1.0 × 10⁶ | 83 | 83,000,000 | 714,286 (0.9%) | Surplus within a quarter of the order. Bank it or carry it as the spare thaw. |
| 1.5 × 10⁶ | 55 | 82,500,000 | 214,286 (0.3%) | Surplus within a quarter of the order. Bank it or carry it as the spare thaw. |
| 2.0 × 10⁶ | 42 | 84,000,000 | 1,714,286 (2.1%) | Surplus within a quarter of the order. Bank it or carry it as the spare thaw. |
| 5.0 × 10⁶ | 17 | 85,000,000 | 2,714,286 (3.3%) | Surplus within a quarter of the order. Bank it or carry it as the spare thaw. |
Modelled cost at verified list prices
Only prices already published, sourced and dated on this site are used. Each is a research-use list price for cells only. None is a quotation, none is negotiated, and none includes medium, coating, shipping or duty.
| Supplier | Product and catalogue number | Cells / vial | List price | Per 1M | Vials | Modelled total | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iXCells Biotechnologies | Human Cortical Neurons (iPSC-derived, Normal) 40HU-009 | 1.0 × 10⁶ per vial | $643.00 | $643.00 | 83 | $53,369.00 | Live store API capture, 2026-09-01 |
| Axol Bioscience | axoCells ventricular cardiomyocytes, unaffected male donor aged 74 ax2508 | ≥ 1 × 10⁶ per vial | $494.00 | $494.00 | 83 | $41,002.00 | Live store API capture, 2026-09-01 |
| Axol Bioscience | axoCells ventricular cardiomyocytes, female donor aged 45 ax5808 | ≥ 1 × 10⁶ per vial | $580.00 | $580.00 | 83 | $48,140.00 | Live store API capture, 2026-09-01 |
| BPS Bioscience | Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes, 1 million cell pack 78529 | 1 × 10⁶ per vial | $405.00 | $405.00 | 83 | $33,615.00 | Product page, live fetch, 2026-09-01 |
| BPS Bioscience | Human iPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes, 5 million cell pack 78529 | 5 × 10⁶ per vial | $1,150.00 | $230.00 | 17 | $19,550.00 | Product page, live fetch, 2026-09-01 |
Read the totals this way
- Every total is MODELLED. It is the published list price multiplied by a vial count this page computed. It is not a quotation, it is not an offer, and no supplier has seen your specification.
- The products are not interchangeable. Cortical neurons and cardiomyocytes appear in the same table because both have a verified price, not because one substitutes for the other. Compare rows within a cell type.
- Counting conventions differ. iXCells and BPS state an exact count; Axol states a minimum. A per-million figure derived from a minimum is an upper bound on the price, not the price.
- Pack size beats supplier choice. BPS lists the same catalogue item at $405.00 for one million cells and $1,150.00 for five, which is $405.00 against $230.00 per million for identical material. Decide the programme total before running a supplier comparison — see the cardiomyocyte price comparison.
- Prices rot. Every figure here carries the date it was recorded. Re-verify anything older than a quarter before it reaches a budget.
Plate format reference
Nominal growth areas used by the density calculation above.
| Format | Wells | Area per well | Total area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-well plate | 6 | 9.6 cm² | 57.60 cm² |
| 12-well plate | 12 | 3.8 cm² | 45.60 cm² |
| 24-well plate | 24 | 1.9 cm² | 45.60 cm² |
| 48-well plate | 48 | 1.1 cm² | 52.80 cm² |
| 96-well plate | 96 | 0.32 cm² | 30.72 cm² |
| 384-well plate | 384 | 0.056 cm² | 21.50 cm² |
| 35 mm dish | 1 | 8 cm² | 8.00 cm² |
| 60 mm dish | 1 | 21 cm² | 21.00 cm² |
| 100 mm dish | 1 | 55 cm² | 55.00 cm² |
| T-25 flask | 1 | 25 cm² | 25.00 cm² |
| T-75 flask | 1 | 75 cm² | 75.00 cm² |
| T-175 flask | 1 | 175 cm² | 175.00 cm² |
Nominal catalogue figures for standard plasticware. Vendors differ by a few percent on the same nominal format and a modified well geometry differs by more, so treat the derived density as a planning figure and confirm it against the data sheet for the plate in front of you.