This template captures an MTS-based cytotoxicity assay of doxorubicin against HeLa cervical carcinoma cells in a 96-well format, generating a 9-point dose-response curve and EC50 estimate.
Goal: measure the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin (anthracycline DNA-intercalator) on proliferating HeLa cells over a log-scale 9-point dose range (10 µM → 1.5 nM, 3-fold serial dilution), with 4 replicate wells per dose, and extract EC50, Hill slope, and assay window (Z’) for QC.
Method overview: 5,000 HeLa cells seeded per well in 100 µL DMEM + 10% FBS in a Corning 96-well flat-bottom plate, 24 hours pre-treatment. Doxorubicin diluted from 10 mM DMSO stock in growth media to 2× working concentrations, with vehicle control matched at 0.1% DMSO. 100 µL of 2× drug added to wells for 1× final concentration. 24 hours treatment at 37°C / 5% CO₂. 20 µL CellTiter 96 AQueous One Solution (MTS + PES) added per well, incubated 4 hours, absorbance read at 490 nm on plate reader. Blank-subtracted viability calculated relative to vehicle control wells. 4PL fit performed in GraphPad Prism.
Expected: Sigmoidal dose-response with EC50 in the 0.3-0.6 µM range for HeLa (published range), Hill slope 1.0-1.8, R² > 0.99, Z’ > 0.5. Background < 0.1 A490; vehicle-control viability normalized to 100%; high-dose viability < 10%.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dose (µM) | Rep 1 | Rep 2 | Rep 3 | Rep 4 | Mean A₄₉₀ | % Viability |
| 2 | 10 | 0.121 | 0.118 | 0.115 | 0.122 | 0.119 | 5 |
| 3 | 3.3 | 0.140 | 0.135 | 0.142 | 0.138 | 0.139 | 8 |
| 4 | 1.1 | 0.226 | 0.218 | 0.232 | 0.221 | 0.224 | 22 |
| 5 | 0.37 | 0.508 | 0.512 | 0.495 | 0.519 | 0.509 | 50 |
| 6 | 0.12 | 0.788 | 0.795 | 0.781 | 0.792 | 0.789 | 80 |
| 7 | 0.041 | 0.872 | 0.879 | 0.865 | 0.880 | 0.874 | 88 |
| 8 | 0.014 | 0.925 | 0.918 | 0.931 | 0.924 | 0.924 | 93 |
| 9 | 0.0045 | 0.948 | 0.939 | 0.951 | 0.945 | 0.946 | 95 |
| 10 | 0.0015 | 0.962 | 0.955 | 0.968 | 0.959 | 0.961 | 97 |
| 11 | vehicle | 0.992 | 1.005 | 0.985 | 1.000 | 0.996 | 100 |
| 12 | blank | 0.072 | 0.068 | 0.074 | 0.070 | 0.071 | — |
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{
"experiment": {
"id": 314,
"custom_id": "VIA-DOX-2026-0604",
"title": "MTS viability: HeLa + doxorubicin (9-pt dose)",
"template": "Cell Viability Assay",
"template_version": "v3.2",
"category": "Cell Biology",
"status": "Complete",
"started_on": "2026-07-19",
"tags": [
"cell-viability",
"MTS-assay",
"doxorubicin",
"HeLa",
"cytotoxicity"
]
},
"main_text": "This template captures an MTS-based cytotoxicity assay of doxorubicin against HeLa cervical carcinoma cells in a 96-well format, generating a 9-point dose-response curve and EC50 estimate.\nGoal: measure the cytotoxic effect of doxorubicin (anthracycline DNA-intercalator) on proliferating HeLa cells over a log-scale 9-point dose range (10 µM → 1.5 nM, 3-fold serial dilution), with 4 replicate wells per dose, and extract EC50, Hill slope, and assay window (Z’) for QC.\nMethod overview: 5,000 HeLa cells seeded per well in 100 µL DMEM + 10% FBS in a Corning 96-well flat-bottom plate, 24 hours pre-treatment. Doxorubicin diluted from 10 mM DMSO stock in growth media to 2× working concentrations, with vehicle control matched at 0.1% DMSO. 100 µL of 2× drug added to wells for 1× final concentration. 24 hours treatment at 37°C / 5% CO₂. 20 µL CellTiter 96 AQueous One Solution (MTS + PES) added per well, incubated 4 hours, absorbance read at 490 nm on plate reader. Blank-subtracted viability calculated relative to vehicle control wells. 4PL fit performed in GraphPad Prism.\nExpected: Sigmoidal dose-response with EC50 in the 0.3-0.6 µM range for HeLa (published range), Hill slope 1.0-1.8, R² > 0.99, Z’ > 0.5. Background < 0.1 A490; vehicle-control viability normalized to 100%; high-dose viability < 10%.",
"extra_fields": {
"Cells": {
"Cell line": {
"type": "select",
"value": "HeLa, MCF7, A549, HCT116, primary culture"
},
"Seed density": {
"type": "number",
"value": "5000 cells/well"
},
"Pre-treatment time": {
"type": "number",
"value": "24 h"
}
},
"Compound": {
"Compound": {
"type": "text",
"value": "Doxorubicin"
},
"High dose": {
"type": "number",
"value": "10 µM"
},
"Dilution factor": {
"type": "number",
"value": "3"
},
"Dose points": {
"type": "number",
"value": "9"
},
"Replicates": {
"type": "number",
"value": "4"
},
"Treatment time": {
"type": "number",
"value": "24 h"
}
},
"Readout & QC": {
"Readout": {
"type": "select",
"value": "MTS, AlamarBlue, CellTiter-Glo, trypan blue"
},
"EC50": {
"type": "number",
"value": "0.41 µM"
},
"Z′-factor": {
"type": "number",
"value": "0.82"
}
}
},
"attached_files": [
{
"filename": "plate_layout.pdf",
"type": "pdf",
"size": "224 KB"
},
{
"filename": "reader_A490_raw.csv",
"type": "csv",
"size": "18 KB"
},
{
"filename": "dose_response_4PL.xlsx",
"type": "xlsx",
"size": "92 KB"
}
],
"steps": [
{
"n": 1,
"description": "Trypsinize HeLa stock + count: 4.8 × 10⁵ cells/mL in DMEM+10%FBS",
"duration": "0:10",
"complete": true,
"note": "95% viability by trypan blue"
},
{
"n": 2,
"description": "Seed 100 µL/well = 5,000 cells/well in inner 60 wells, outer rows H₂O",
"duration": "0:15",
"complete": true
},
{
"n": 3,
"description": "Incubate plate 24 h at 37°C / 5% CO₂",
"duration": "24:00",
"complete": true
},
{
"n": 4,
"description": "Prepare doxorubicin 9-point 3-fold dilution series in media (2× final)",
"duration": "0:15",
"complete": true,
"note": "High 20 µM → low 3 nM (2×)"
},
{
"n": 5,
"description": "Add 100 µL of 2× drug to wells, vehicle-only to control wells (0.1% DMSO)",
"duration": "0:10",
"complete": true
},
{
"n": 6,
"description": "Incubate plate 24 h at 37°C / 5% CO₂",
"duration": "24:00",
"complete": true,
"note": "Treatment 24 h"
},
{
"n": 7,
"description": "Add 20 µL CellTiter 96 AQueous One per well, swirl gently",
"duration": "0:03",
"complete": true
},
{
"n": 8,
"description": "Incubate 4 h at 37°C / 5% CO₂",
"duration": "4:00",
"complete": true,
"note": "Color develops to orange-brown"
},
{
"n": 9,
"description": "Read A490 on plate reader; export CSV",
"duration": "0:03",
"complete": true,
"note": "BioTek Synergy H1 · run 06:04:14:32"
},
{
"n": 10,
"description": "Calculate blank-subtracted viability + 4PL fit in Prism, extract EC50 + Z'",
"duration": "0:25",
"complete": true,
"note": "EC50 0.41 µM · Z' 0.82 · R² 0.998"
}
],
"spreadsheet": [
[
"Dose (µM)",
"Rep 1",
"Rep 2",
"Rep 3",
"Rep 4",
"Mean A₄₉₀",
"% Viability"
],
[
"10",
"0.121",
"0.118",
"0.115",
"0.122",
"0.119",
"5"
],
[
"3.3",
"0.140",
"0.135",
"0.142",
"0.138",
"0.139",
"8"
],
[
"1.1",
"0.226",
"0.218",
"0.232",
"0.221",
"0.224",
"22"
],
[
"0.37",
"0.508",
"0.512",
"0.495",
"0.519",
"0.509",
"50"
],
[
"0.12",
"0.788",
"0.795",
"0.781",
"0.792",
"0.789",
"80"
],
[
"0.041",
"0.872",
"0.879",
"0.865",
"0.880",
"0.874",
"88"
],
[
"0.014",
"0.925",
"0.918",
"0.931",
"0.924",
"0.924",
"93"
],
[
"0.0045",
"0.948",
"0.939",
"0.951",
"0.945",
"0.946",
"95"
],
[
"0.0015",
"0.962",
"0.955",
"0.968",
"0.959",
"0.961",
"97"
],
[
"vehicle",
"0.992",
"1.005",
"0.985",
"1.000",
"0.996",
"100"
],
[
"blank",
"0.072",
"0.068",
"0.074",
"0.070",
"0.071",
"—"
]
],
"links": {
"experiments": [
{
"ref_id": "EXP-2026-0531",
"title": "HeLa working stock + growth curve QC",
"owner": "J. Chen",
"date": "May 31"
},
{
"ref_id": "EXP-2026-0608",
"title": "Doxorubicin + cisplatin combo screen",
"owner": "J. Chen",
"date": "Jun 8"
}
],
"resources": [
{
"ref_id": "SOP-0184",
"title": "MTS Cell Viability SOP v1.4",
"owner": "QA Team",
"date": "Jan 24"
},
{
"ref_id": "KIT-0042",
"title": "CellTiter 96 AQueous One Solution insert",
"owner": "Promega Docs",
"date": "Jun 2"
},
{
"ref_id": "CPD-0341",
"title": "Doxorubicin datasheet + Pubmed references",
"owner": "Compound DB",
"date": "Apr 8"
}
]
},
"compounds": [
{
"name": "CellTiter 96 AQueous One Solution (MTS + PES)",
"catalog_lot": "G3580 · Lot 0000465812",
"stock_status": "In stock"
},
{
"name": "Doxorubicin HCl (10 mM in DMSO)",
"catalog_lot": "D1515 · Lot SLBR9421A",
"stock_status": "In stock"
},
{
"name": "DMSO (cell culture grade, vehicle ctrl)",
"catalog_lot": "D2650 · Lot SLBT8847A",
"stock_status": "In stock"
},
{
"name": "DMEM + GlutaMAX (high glucose)",
"catalog_lot": "10566016 · Lot 2722164",
"stock_status": "In stock"
},
{
"name": "FBS, heat-inactivated (HI-FBS)",
"catalog_lot": "16140071 · Lot 2722084",
"stock_status": "Low"
}
],
"storage": [
{
"name": "Doxorubicin stock + 10× working aliquots",
"location": "-20 °C · Freezer C-2 · Drawer 1 · Box CPD-DOX-2026",
"count": "×8"
},
{
"name": "CellTiter 96 reagent (5 mL working)",
"location": "-20 °C protected from light · Freezer C-2",
"count": "×2"
},
{
"name": "Plate reader raw data + Prism workbook",
"location": "Cloud · /viability/2026-06/DOX-001/",
"count": "×3"
}
],
"permissions": {
"visibility": [
{
"type": "Team",
"name": "Chen Lab"
},
{
"type": "Person",
"name": "J. Chen"
}
],
"can_write": [
{
"type": "Person",
"name": "J. Chen"
},
{
"type": "Person",
"name": "Dr. M. Liu"
}
]
}
}