let us do the work of managing your cell culture

The GRCF Cell Center can help you with all your cell culture needs! We are a CAP-accredited, mycoplasma-free facility offering immortalization of lymphoycytes, primary fibroblast establishment, cell culture expansions, and cell line distribution.

Services

Cell Expansion / Preparation of Cell Line Stocks

Cultured cells from your lab can be tested for mycoplasma, expanded, aliquoted, and cryopreserved in freezing media at 5e^6 cells per vial. We offer long-term cryostorage and electronic tracking of vials.

Cell Line Distribution

Service includes cryopreserved cell line stock and maintenance (5e6 cells per vial), arrangements, and shipment (domestic or international) to collaborators of your choosing.

Cell Culture Maintenance for Specific Projects

Expand cells from your lab or ATCC according to your long-term research needs. Cells are mycoplasma tested and provided in live cell flasks. Additional cells are cryopreserved at 5e6 cells per vial as your backup.

Establishment of fibroblast cultures from Tissue Biopsies

Service includes fibroblast establishment, mycoplasma testing, cryopreservation of 4 vials containing at least 1e6 cells/vial. Please allow 8-10 weeks for completion.

Establishment of cell lines (LCLs) from frozen lymphocytes

Service includes B-cell transformation from previously cryopreserved blood lymphocytes, culture expansion, and cryopreservation. Also included are cell count, viability determination, and 2-4 vials containing 5e6 cells per vial. Cells are cryopreserved and electronically tracked. Please allow 8-10 weeks for completion.

Preparation of cells for DNA or RNA extraction

Eukaryotic cells from the your lab or from ATCC can be expanded for nucleic acid isolation (1e8 cells). DNA or RNA extraction is available through the Fragment Analysis Facility.

We are committed to assisting you with any cell culture questions such as contamination, slow-growing cell lines, techniques, lab design, and lab maintenance. Please feel free to contact us at bioprocessing@jhmi.edu or by phone at 410-955-3320.

Starting up

How do I request cell culture services?

The GRCF Cell Center requests an initial consultation to discuss your project needs prior to starting service. Please contact us at 410-955-3320 or by email at bioprocessing@jhmi.edu to setup an account for processing in our facility.

The following documentation must be completed and submitted prior to dropping off first samples:

1) Completed   Project Information Form

2) Signed   GRCF BioBank & Cell Center Agreement Form

3) IRB Approval Letter

4) Blank copy of the Informed Consent (Patient Specimens ONLY)

5) Letter from Principal Investigator affirming all patients have consented to the study (Patient Specimens ONLY)

Interested in setting up a cell line for distribution?

Let us take the work of distributing to collaborators on your behalf! We can grow and distribute your cell line around the world.
Learn more by visiting our Bioshipping page!