What are the advantages and limitations of 2D cell culture?

2D cell culture is a type of cell culture system that’s performed on a flat substrate, usually a petri dish made of plastic. The cells are laid out onto coated surfaces to help them adhere and spread. Cell growth and division occurs in a single plane.

2D cell culture is the most widely used type of cell culture and has long been used in a wide range of basic and clinical in vitro research studies. 2D cultures have traditionally been a stable and successful method of growing simple cells and despite few inherent flaws they are still used in a majority of cell research studies.

Advantages of 2D cell culture:

• Has been in use since the 1940s and is well established
• More cost effective
• Easy cell observation and measurement
• Plenty of comparative literature makes it easier for researchers to compare current vs earlier results

Limitations of 2D cell culture:

• Not representative of real cell environments
• Issues caused by expansion of cells and growth media
• Isn’t always predictive, increasing the cost and failure rate of clinical trials and new drug discovery