How It Works
This calculator works in 4 steps.
Enter the counted density
Type the cells/mL from the counter or hemocytometer.
Enter the target density
Type the cells/mL needed for the experiment.
Enter the final volume
Type the volume of diluted suspension to prepare.
Read the volumes
The calculator returns suspension and fresh medium volumes.
The Formula
The formula applies C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ with cell density in cells/mL.
V₁ = C₂ × V₂ / C₁V_medium = V₂ − V₁N = C₂ × V₂- C₁:
- Counted cell density (cells/mL)
- C₂:
- Target density
- V₂:
- Final volume
- N:
- Total cells in the final suspension
Diluting 2.5 × 10⁶ cells/mL to 1 × 10⁶ cells/mL in 10 mL needs 4 mL suspension and 6 mL medium.
Conversion Table
The conversion table gives suspension and medium volumes for 6 cell density targets (cells/mL).
| Counted density | Target density | Final volume | Suspension | Medium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 × 10⁶ | 10⁶ | 10 mL | 4 mL | 6 mL |
| 8 × 10⁶ | 5 × 10⁵ | 20 mL | 1.25 mL | 18.75 mL |
| 1.2 × 10⁷ | 2 × 10⁶ | 5 mL | 0.8333 mL | 4.167 mL |
| 6 × 10⁵ | 10⁵ | 30 mL | 5 mL | 25 mL |
| 3 × 10⁶ | 2.5 × 10⁵ | 12 mL | 1 mL | 11 mL |
| 5 × 10⁷ | 10⁷ | 2 mL | 0.4 mL | 1.6 mL |
What Is the Cell Suspension Dilution Calculator?
The Cell Suspension Dilution Calculator is a tool that returns the volume of cell suspension and fresh medium needed to reach a specified cell concentration in cells/mL. The calculator applies C₁V₁ = C₂V₂ with cell density as the concentration.
Cells settle within minutes, so the measured density holds only for a well-mixed suspension. The calculator reminds the user to resuspend by gentle pipetting before each transfer. Inputs accept scientific notation, such as 2.5 × 10⁶ cells/mL.
Common Uses
There are 5 main uses of this calculator.
Passaging
Cell culture staff split cultures to a set density.
Transfection
Users set cells to the density a transfection protocol requires.
Flow cytometry
Labs set cells to 1 × 10⁶ cells/mL for staining.
Cryopreservation
Users freeze cells at 1 to 5 × 10⁶ cells/mL.
Functional assays
Immunologists set effector and target densities.