diff --git a/src/main/java/Plate.java b/src/main/java/Plate.java
index 5a13eff..af37ac0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/Plate.java
+++ b/src/main/java/Plate.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ TODO: Implement discrete frequency distributions using Vose's Alias Method
 import java.util.*;
 
 public class Plate {
+    private CellSample cells;
     private String sourceFile;
     private List<List<Integer[]>> wells;
     private final Random rand = BiGpairSEQ.getRand();
@@ -18,6 +19,24 @@ public class Plate {
     private double lambda;
     boolean exponential = false;
 
+    public Plate(CellSample cells, String cellFilename, int size, Integer[] populations,
+                 double dropoutRate, double stdDev_or_lambda, boolean exponential){
+        this.cells = cells;
+        this.sourceFile = cellFilename;
+        this.size = size;
+        this.error = dropoutRate;
+        this.populations = populations;
+        this.exponential = exponential;
+        if (this.exponential) {
+            this.lambda = stdDev_or_lambda;
+            fillWellsExponential(cells.getCells(), this.lambda);
+        }
+        else {
+            this.stdDev = stdDev_or_lambda;
+            fillWells(cells.getCells(), this.stdDev);
+        }
+    }
+
 
     public Plate(int size, double error, Integer[] populations) {
         this.size = size;
@@ -43,10 +62,9 @@ public class Plate {
         }
     }
 
-    public void fillWellsExponential(String sourceFileName, List<Integer[]> cells, double lambda){
+    private void fillWellsExponential(List<Integer[]> cells, double lambda){
         this.lambda = lambda;
         exponential = true;
-        sourceFile = sourceFileName;
         int numSections = populations.length;
         int section = 0;
         double m;
@@ -74,9 +92,8 @@ public class Plate {
         }
     }
 
-    public void fillWells(String sourceFileName, List<Integer[]> cells, double stdDev) {
+    private void fillWells( List<Integer[]> cells, double stdDev) {
         this.stdDev = stdDev;
-        sourceFile = sourceFileName;
         int numSections = populations.length;
         int section = 0;
         double m;