Keratinocyte Culture in the Absence of Substrate Attachment

This chapter deals with experimental protocols and considerations related to the culture of epithelial cells under anchorage-independent conditions in liquid media. This technique has proven to be a powerful tool in studying the effects of loss of extracellular matrix interaction on crucial aspects of epithelial cell biology. Specifically, examining cells in the absence of substrate attachment, as described in this chapter, will allow the investigator to study the effect of growth factors independently of cell adhesion. Several methods are discussed relating to the preparation of tissue culture plates for suspension cultures and to the choice of a suitable cell culture medium.