CFU Assay Course-US-Winter

Hands-on laboratory training in hematopoietic Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) assays is offered by STEMCELL Technologies as part of its US Winter session. The program covers the full workflow of a CFU assay, from sample preparation through colony identification and scoring, using MethoCult methylcellulose-based medium. Across a multi-day format, attendees work at the bench with fresh or cryopreserved bone marrow, cord blood, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, plating them at appropriate densities and then applying standardized morphological criteria to identify and score erythroid (CFU-E, BFU-E), myeloid (CFU-GM), and multipotent (CFU-GEMM) colonies. Lecture modules explain the underlying biology of hematopoietic progenitors, discuss common sources of assay variability, and walk through basic troubleshooting. The training kit supplied to each participant includes the course manual, reagents for the practical sessions, and colony identification reference plates. A certificate of completion is awarded after attendees demonstrate competency in scoring a reference slide. The course is suitable for new lab members, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and core facility staff who need to run standardized CFU assays in their own facility.