Cell Culture Services

Cell propagation

Established cell lines are routinely obtained from a variety of sources and passaged in culture.

Cell Validation Support

The Facility supports FCCC researchers in validating the integrity of their cell lines by providing a wide array of common stock cell lines that were obtained directly from approved sources

EBV transformation

Immortalized B cells can be generated from human peripheral blood samples by transformation with Epstein Barr Virus (EBV).

Embryonic stem cell culture

The Facility provides technical support, cells, reagents, and supplies for culturing mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, and performs transfections and cloning to establish germline transmissible modified mouse ES cells to create knockout or knock-in mice

Hybridoma fusions and antibody production

The Facility can produce hybridoma fusions, clone antibody-producing hybridomas, generate high titer monoclonal antibody (mAb)-containing culture supernatants, and bank hybridomas.

Frozen storage of viable cells (cell banking)

Viable cell samples are stored under liquid nitrogen (‑196°C) in cell banks with a total capacity of about 57,000 samples.

Initiation of cell lines

A wide array of established techniques is used to prepare primary cultures and to derive serially subcultured cell lines from them.

Mycoplasma screening

Mycoplasma infestations of mammalian cell cultures can be detected by transferring their medium to indicator cultures of Vero monkey kidney cells and detecting mycoplasma DNA by fluorescence microscopy.

Performance testing of fetal bovine serum

By testing and purchasing an optimal fetal bovine serum batch, investigators have access to a consistent, quality-assured supply of at the most cost‑effective price.

Preparation of sterile growth media and reagents

The CCF is a cost-effective resource for the preparation of complex media as well as of the more common media.