MegaCult-C Complete Kit (+cyto), rack

Collagen-based colony-forming assay system from STEMCELL Technologies for enumerating megakaryocyte progenitor cells (CFU-Mk) derived from human bone marrow, peripheral blood, or cord blood. The Complete Kit (+cyto) format bundles a recombinant cytokine supplement with the collagen matrix, removing the need to source and titrate individual growth factors such as IL-3, IL-6, and thrombopoietin. Each rack configuration supports simultaneous setup of multiple culture chambers, enabling both routine CFU-Mk enumeration and comparative dose-response studies in hematotoxicity screening, drug-development workflows, and platelet-biology research. Cultures are incubated at 37 °C with 5% CO₂ for 10 to 14 days, after which colonies are dried onto slides and stained with a megakaryocyte-specific detection reagent for manual or image-based scoring. Refrigerated storage preserves cytokine activity throughout the labeled shelf life, and the single-use chamber format simplifies handling between operators. The system is used by academic and translational hematology laboratories to study megakaryopoiesis regulation, characterize hematopoietic progenitor expansion, and benchmark candidate therapeutics against standardized progenitor output.