Why the dish makes a difference: Quantitative comparison of polystyrene culture surfaces

There is wide anecdotal recognition that biological cell viability and behavior can vary significantly as a function of the source of commercial tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) culture vessels to which those cells adhere. However, this marked material dependency is typically resolved by selecting and then consistently using the same manufacturer’s product – following protocol – rather than by investigating the material properties that may be responsible for such experimental variation. Here, we quantified several physical properties of TCPS surfaces obtained from a wide range of commercial sources and processing steps, through the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based imaging and analysis, goniometry and protein adsorption quantification. We identify qualitative differences in surface features, as well as quantitative differences in surface roughness and wettability that cannot be attributed solely to differences in surface chemistry. We also find significant differences in cell morphology and proliferation among cells cultured on different TCPS surfaces, and resolve a correlation between nanoscale surface roughness and cell proliferation rate for both cell types considered. Interestingly, AFM images of living adherent cells on these nanotextured surfaces demonstrate direct interactions between cellular protrusions and topographically distinct features. These results illustrate and quantify the significant differences in material surface properties among these ubiquitous materials, allowing us to better understand why the dish can make a difference in biological experiments.