PulseGrowth is a browser-based kinetics calculator for mammalian cell culture. It converts routine two-point sampling data into the growth and metabolic metrics needed for passaging decisions, clone comparisons, and feeding corrections.
The app is organized into three modules: growth kinetics (μ, doubling time, IVCD), specific metabolite consumption rates (qGlc, qGln), and a simple feed correction estimator. All three are designed for quick bench-side use during culture operations.
No installation. No server. Runs entirely in the browser.
Routine culture monitoring generates two data points at every sampling: a cell count and a set of metabolite concentrations. Extracting actionable metrics from those points — growth rate, doubling time, specific consumption rates — requires several non-trivial calculations that are error-prone to do by hand. Without a dedicated tool:
- μ and doubling time must be derived manually from a logarithmic expression
- Specific rates require IVCD normalization, which is rarely computed at the bench
- Unit conversions (g/L → mM) are applied inconsistently, making q values incomparable across runs
- Feed correction volumes must be calculated separately from a different formula
PulseGrowth covers all three steps in one interface, with consistent unit handling throughout.
Enter X₀, X₁, and Δt (in hours or days). PulseGrowth returns:
- Specific growth rate (μ)
- Doubling time (t_d)
- Expansion factor (X₁ / X₀)
- IVCD (exponential approximation, for downstream q calculations)
Enter glucose and/or glutamine concentrations as C₀ → C₁, selecting g/L or mM. The app converts g/L to mM internally using fixed molecular weights (Glc = 180.156 g/mol, Gln = 146.145 g/mol), then normalizes the concentration change by IVCD:
- qGlc — specific glucose consumption (pmol/cell/day)
- qGln — specific glutamine consumption (pmol/cell/day)
A positive q means net consumption (C₀ > C₁). Entering values in g/L or mM produces equivalent results because units are normalized before computing.
Enter culture volume, stock concentration, current concentration, and target concentration. PulseGrowth returns the feed volume required to restore the target level in a single addition. Intended as a quick operational estimate, not a full dynamic feeding model.
where ΔC = C₀ − C₁ in mM, IVCD in 10⁶ cells·h/mL, and the factor 24 converts from per-hour to per-day.
| Growth kinetics | Computes μ, doubling time, expansion factor, and IVCD from two sampling points |
| IVCD-normalized q | qGlc and qGln estimated using exponential IVCD for consistent inter-run comparison |
| Unit-aware metabolite inputs | Accepts g/L or mM; converts internally before computing q |
| Feed correction estimator | Single-addition feed volume for glucose and glutamine correction |
| Flexible time input | Manual Δt or start/end datetime |
| Offline-first PWA | Service Worker caches all assets; works without internet after first load |
| Bilingual UI | Full Spanish / English interface |
| No installation | Opens instantly in any modern browser; installable on Android, iOS, and desktop |
Frontend
Deployment
Fully static — no backend, no framework, no build step.
PulseGrowth/
├── index.html ← markup only
├── manifest.json ← PWA manifest
├── sw.js ← Service Worker (cache-first, offline support)
├── icon-192.png
├── icon-512.png
├── icon-maskable-192.png
├── icon-maskable-512.png
└── src/
├── css/
│ └── app.css ← all styles
└── js/
├── i18n.js ← translation strings (ES / EN)
└── app.js ← all application logic
Emiliano Balderas Ramírez Bioengineer · PhD Candidate in Biochemical Sciences Instituto de Biotecnología (IBt), UNAM
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