How to count yeast cells?
- Manual counting: This method uses a hemocytometer, which is a specialized microscope slide with a gridded counting chamber. To count yeast cells manually, you will need to:
- Prepare a yeast cell suspension by diluting the yeast culture in water or a buffer solution.
- Place a drop of the yeast cell suspension on the hemocytometer slide.
- Cover the slide with a coverslip.
- Place the slide under a microscope and focus on the counting chamber.
- Count the number of yeast cells in four corner squares of the counting chamber.
- Multiply the number of cells counted by 10,000 to get the number of cells per milliliter of yeast cell suspension.
- Automated counting: This method uses a flow cytometer, which is a machine that can count and analyze cells in a suspension. To count yeast cells using a flow cytometer, you will need to:
- Prepare a yeast cell suspension by diluting the yeast culture in water or a buffer solution.
- Add a fluorescent dye to the yeast cell suspension.
- Pass the yeast cell suspension through the flow cytometer.
- The flow cytometer will count the number of yeast cells and measure their size and fluorescence.
- The flow cytometer will then output a data file that contains the number of yeast cells, their size, and their fluorescence.
The manual counting method is more time-consuming, but it is also more accurate. The automated counting method is faster, but it is also less accurate. The best method for counting yeast cells depends on your specific needs.
Here are some additional tips for counting yeast cells:
- Make sure that the yeast cell suspension is well-mixed before you start counting.
- If you are using a hemocytometer, make sure that the coverslip is clean and free of dust.
- If you are using a flow cytometer, make sure that the yeast cell suspension is the correct concentration.
- If you are counting yeast cells for the first time, it is a good idea to practice counting cells on a known concentration of yeast cell suspension.