Cell Suspension for MRI Study - (Dec/10/2007 )

Hello Everyone,
I am using magnetic beeds to label cells. My problem is that cell clumps togather in settles down in the tube making my MRI experiments a big failure. Is there anyway to keep cells suspended in 1 ml vials.
I am planing to prepare .01% agarose gel solution and am planing to suspend my cells there will it work.
This experiment is realy frustrating me to no limits please advice.
Thanks
Saurabh

hmm, clumps formed. Do these beads have positive charges? I know they are kind of heavy, beads and cell weight will pull cells down.
Gels will work, agarose or gelatin, the chill it on ice.
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Hi,
Thank you so much for your reply.
Beads should not have as such any charge as I am conjugating them with antibody. But as you mentioned its because of the weight that might be causing the problem. Do you think .01% Agarose will be fine to suspend cells. Should I use PBS solution or deionized water while transfering cells to the warm gel solution. I am very new to cell biology (material chemist by training).

try little higher in % to 0.25-0.5. You need to melt the agarose in boiling water, or in a microwave oven. Cool it down to about 40 C, mix with cell suspension. You need to keep it isotonic with PBS, or cells will be ruptured.