96-well cell culture plates are essential tools in biological research, designed to facilitate high-throughput cell culture experiments and screenings. These plates provide a platform for culturing various cell types, including finicky adherent cells like primary and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), offering a controlled environment for studying cell behavior and responses to different treatments.

Research has highlighted the importance of understanding the edge effect when using 96-well plates for cell culture. Studies have shown that corner and edge wells in these plates are more prone to evaporation compared to interior wells, leading to heterogeneous patterns of cell growth. Different brands of 96-well plates exhibit varying levels of the edge effect, with some plates showing inappropriate results for such studies. It is crucial for each laboratory to determine the optimal conditions for culturing cells empirically to avoid introducing errors that could affect data quality.