Microplate Guide

Microplate Selection Guide

Find the right microplate for your application. Answer four quick questions about your workflow — application type, well format, plate color, and surface treatment — and we'll recommend the best-matching assay plates, deep-well plates, and specialty plates from our catalog.

Step 1 of 4

What's your primary application?

This determines plate color, surface treatment, and well geometry.

Cell Culture
Growing adherent or suspension cells
ELISA / Immunoassay
Antibody-based detection assays
PCR / qPCR
Amplification and quantification
Sample Storage
Compound libraries, biobanking, archival
Fluorescence Assay
Fluorescent dye or protein-based readouts
Luminescence Assay
Bioluminescence, chemiluminescence
Step 2 of 4

What well format do you need?

Higher density means smaller wells and lower volumes per well.

96-Well
100–350 µL per well · Most common format
384-Well
20–120 µL per well · High throughput
24-Well
0.5–3 mL per well · Cell culture, deep well
Other (6, 12, 48)
Specialty formats for specific workflows
Step 3 of 4

What plate color works best?

Color affects optical performance and background signal.

Clear
Absorbance, microscopy, visual inspection
White
Luminescence — reflects light, boosts signal
Black
Fluorescence — reduces background, prevents crosstalk
Black / Clear Bottom
Fluorescence + bottom-read microscopy
Step 4 of 4

What surface treatment do you need?

Surface chemistry affects cell attachment, protein binding, and assay performance.

TC-Treated
Tissue culture treated — ideal for adherent cell growth
Non-Treated
Untreated polystyrene — assays, storage, suspension cells
High-Binding
Enhanced protein adsorption for ELISA and immunoassays
Specialty Coating
Poly-D-Lysine, collagen, glass-coated, or custom

✓ Your Plate Recommendation

Application
Well Format
Plate Color
Surface

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Our 11×17 tabloid-size Microplate Selection Guide poster covers every combination of application, color, surface treatment, and well format in one quick-reference chart. Printed on heavy glossy stock — just pay shipping.

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