The specific growth rate (μ) is calculated from the slope of the natural logarithm of viable cell density over time: μ = ln(X₂/X₁) / (t₂ - t₁), expressed in h⁻¹. CellTrack automatically computes μ between consecutive data points using this formula. For the most accurate value, use data from the exponential growth phase where viability remains above 90%. Growth rates during lag or stationary phases are not meaningful for characterising culture performance. Typical μ values range from 0.01-0.03 h⁻¹ for CHO cells to 0.3-0.7 h⁻¹ for E. coli.
IVC (also called IVCD or integral of viable cell density) is the cumulative sum of viable cells over time, calculated by trapezoidal integration: IVC = Σ [(Xᵢ + Xᵢ₊₁)/2 × Δt], in units of cells·day/mL. It represents the total biological work capacity of your culture. IVC is the single best predictor of final product titer in antibody and recombinant protein production because titer is proportional to the total number of cell-hours available for production. CellTrack computes IVC automatically as you log data points, letting you compare runs and predict harvest timing.
Population doubling time (T₁) is calculated as T₁ = ln(2) / μ, where μ is the specific growth rate in h⁻¹. This gives the time in hours for the cell population to double during exponential growth. CellTrack automatically derives T₁ from consecutive VCD measurements. To get a reliable doubling time, ensure you have at least 3-4 data points during the exponential phase. Doubling time is more intuitive than specific growth rate for comparing cell lines or culture conditions, and is commonly reported in cell line characterisation studies.
Typical CHO cell doubling times range from 20 to 30 hours in standard culture conditions (37 °C, serum-free media). CHO-K1 and CHO-S suspension-adapted lines tend toward the faster end (18-24 h), while CHO-DG44 and engineered production clones often show 24-36 h doubling times due to metabolic burden from recombinant protein expression. If your CHO doubling time exceeds 40 hours, investigate nutrient depletion, osmolality shifts, or accumulated waste metabolites such as lactate and ammonia. Temperature shifts to 32-33 °C intentionally slow growth to 40-60 h doubling times to improve product quality.
Population doubling level (PDL) tracks the cumulative number of doublings a cell line has undergone since isolation: PDL = 3.322 × log₁₀(X_harvest / X_seed) + previous PDL. CellTrack logs each passage as a data point, allowing you to calculate PDL from seeding and harvest densities across sequential passages. Tracking PDL is critical for cell line stability studies since many cell lines show phenotypic drift beyond certain passage limits (e.g., HEK293 beyond PDL 50-60, CHO production clones beyond 60-80 generations). Regulatory submissions for biologics require documented generation numbers from master cell bank to production.
Yes, CellTrack is a Progressive Web App (PWA) that works fully offline after your first visit. All data is stored locally in your browser using localStorage, so no internet connection is needed to log data points, view charts, or export CSV files. You can install CellTrack to your phone or tablet home screen for quick bench-side access. Simply tap the install prompt or use your browser's "Add to Home Screen" option. Your data never leaves your device unless you explicitly export it.
Click the "Import" button in the Data Points section. Upload your CSV or Excel file, then map your columns to CellTrack fields in the preview step. CellTrack will automatically recognize common column names like "VCD", "Viability", "Glucose", etc. Any unmatched columns will be skipped. After confirming, all data points will be added and metrics will be recalculated automatically.
Yes. Go to the All Experiments view and click the Compare button (bar chart icon in the header). Select 2-5 experiments to overlay their growth curves, metabolite profiles, and productivity metrics on shared charts. A summary table below the charts highlights key differences. This is useful for evaluating the impact of media changes, feed strategies, or different cell lines.
The specific growth rate is calculated between consecutive time points using the formula: μ = ln(VCD₂/VCD₁) / (t₂ − t₁), where VCD₁ and VCD₂ are viable cell densities at times t₁ and t₂. The result is expressed in h⁻¹. CellTrack also reports the maximum μ (µ_MAX) and minimum doubling time (MIN t_d = ln(2)/µ_max) in the summary metrics.
These are per-cell metabolic rates. qGlc (specific glucose consumption rate) measures how much glucose each cell consumes per unit time. qLac (specific lactate production rate) measures lactate output per cell. qP (specific productivity) measures how much product each cell produces. They are calculated by dividing the change in metabolite/titer concentration by the logarithmic mean VCD over the same interval. These rates help identify metabolic shifts and optimize feeding strategies.
CellTrack stores all data locally in your browser. To create a backup, click the save icon in the header bar and select "Download Backup." This downloads a JSON file containing all your experiments and data points. To restore, click "Restore from Backup" and upload a previously saved backup file. You can choose to merge with existing data or replace it entirely. We recommend backing up regularly, especially before clearing browser data.
Cumulative IVC (Integral of Viable Cells) is the running total of viable cell concentration over time, calculated using the trapezoidal rule: IVC = Σ [(VCD₁ + VCD₂) / 2 × (t₂ − t₁)]. It represents the total "cell-hours" available for production and is commonly used to normalize titer. Interval IVC shows the contribution of each time interval separately, which is helpful for identifying which phase of the culture contributed most to production.
When you log a feed event in the Feeds section, it will appear in the feed events table below the charts with timestamp, feed type, volume, and notes. You can use this to correlate feeding with changes in growth, metabolite levels, or productivity by comparing feed timing against the chart data.
Yes. Open an experiment and use the alert settings to configure thresholds for viability, glucose, lactate, pH, and other parameters. When a logged data point crosses a threshold, it will be flagged with a warning icon in the data table, and a summary of active alerts appears at the top of the experiment view. This helps you catch potential problems early.
Click the Export button on any experiment and select "Share Experiment." This downloads a JSON file containing all data points, metadata, and feed logs. Send this file to your colleague, who can import it using the Import Experiment option. Note that shared experiments are independent copies — changes made by one person won't sync to the other.
CellTrack supports any cell culture system. The organism types include Mammalian, Bacterial, Yeast, Insect, Algae, and Plant cells, with pre-populated cell line options for common lines (CHO-K1, HEK293, Sf9, E. coli BL21, etc.). You can also select "Other" and type in a custom cell line name. Media options update dynamically based on the selected organism type.