96well

96-well plates, also known as 96-well microplates or microtiter plates, are flat, rigid vessels used to hold small-volume samples for laboratory assays. The plates contain 96 wells arranged in an 8-by-12 grid, typically labeled rows A through H and columns 1 through 12. Each well accommodates small volumes; standard working volumes are around 0.2 mL per well in conventional plates, with deep-well formats offering higher capacity and half-area plates reducing reagent use.

Most plates are made of polystyrene and may be treated or coated to improve binding of biological molecules. They come in variants such as tissue culture–treated plates for adherent cells, clear plates for optical measurements, black plates for fluorescence assays, and white plates for luminescence assays. Specialized coatings include high-binding surfaces for ELISA and low-binding surfaces for protein assays. The plates conform to the SBS (Society for Biomolecular Screening) footprint, which standardizes size and well spacing for compatibility with automated readers and robotic systems.

Common applications include high-throughput screening (HTS), enzyme activity assays, ELISAs, DNA/RNA amplification setups (PCR/qPCR), and cell-based assays. The format allows parallel processing of many samples with reduced reagent volumes, improving throughput and reducing costs. Edge wells are prone to evaporation; experiments often use humidity controls, plate seals, and optimized plate layouts to mitigate this issue.

History and usage: Since their introduction in the late 20th century, 96-well plates have become a core standard in biomedical laboratories, produced by numerous manufacturers and adapted with coatings and materials to suit a wide range of assays.