Eukaryotic cells grown on microcarrier beads offer a cost-efficient way to propagate Chlamydia trachomatis.

The use of microcarrier cell culture as a method for the in vitro propagation of the obligate intracellular bacterial parasite, Chlamydia trachomatis, is described. The microcarrier beads proved to be a more cost-effective means to propagate C. trachomatis than traditional tissue culture flasks or roller bottles without sacrificing yields or infectivity. In addition, microcarrier cell culture was found to be a much simpler technique to study the intracellular development of these bacteria.