The colony forming cell (CFC) assay is an in vitro assay in which hematopoietic progenitors form colonies in a semi-solid medium. A combination of colony morphology, cell morphology, and flow cytometry are used to assess the ability of the progenitors to proliferate and differentiate along the different hematopoietic lineages.
Sarma, N. J., Takeda, A., Yaseen, N. R. Colony Forming Cell (CFC) Assay for Human Hematopoietic Cells. J. Vis. Exp. (46), e2195, doi:10.3791/2195 (2010).