Cell Culture Facility

Research Inst Of Fox Chase Can Ctr, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – SHARED RESOURCE: CELL CULTURE FACILITY The Cell Culture Facility (CCF) serves as a customized pay-for-service facility with the primary goal of providing expertise, technical support, reagents, equipment, liquid nitrogen storage, and training to increase the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of using mammalian cell culture by FCCC members. The CCF, under leadership of Campbell (CSM, CCF Director for 23 years) with a facility manager and three additional staff members, offers technical assistance and consultation services in tissue culture techniques, centralized liquid nitrogen banking, mycoplasma screening services, cell line authentication support, the preparation of custom and standard culture media and supplements, and cell propagation services. The CCF also carries out technically challenging techniques, such as the establishment of primary cell cultures from patient or animal tissue samples, hybridoma fusion and cloning services to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAb), bulk mAb production from hybridomas in bioreactors, and 3-dimensional (3D) organoid and spheroid cell culture. Importantly, the Facility supplies the FCCC community with valuable on-site expertise for established cell culture protocols to assure quality control, expert consultation in the design and evaluation of experiments, high quality culture media and supplements at reduced costs, bulk purchase discount pricing of high quality performance-tested fetal bovine serum, and the capacity to deliver personalized assistance and custom-prepared supplies in a timely and cost-effective manner. Since 2021, the Institution purchased over $235,000 of new shared and replacement equipment to monitor, quantify, bank, and manipulate cultured cells in the CCF. 57 Cancer Center members from all three Research Programs used the CCF for the 12 months ending 10/31/23 (77 Cancer Center members from all three Research Programs from 2019-2023) with 74% supported by peer-reviewed funded research grants. Primary future goals are to expand upon current 3D cell culture services, which is being spearheaded by the expertise of the CCF Manager, Dr. Tim Kwok, and to develop new techniques to immortalize tumor and primary cells. The CCF is advised by a dedicated Facility Advisory Committee (FAC) that meets annually. Recommendations from the FAC are directed to a governing Facility Parent Oversight Committee (FPOC) that advises Senior Leadership to ensure that the CCF continues to have the necessary resources to provide the highest quality cell culture services for FCCC members. Demand for services is expected to increase in the next cycle of the CCSG due to plans to recruit in all three Programs, and increasing demand from FCCC members from all three campuses.