The following QC tests are carried out:

1. cell count, viability and plating efficiency;
2. sterility testing for the detection of bacteria and fungi;
3. mycoplasma testing;
4. cell line authentication:STR profiling.

A COA, showing the results of these tests, is available for each lot number of cells.

Our cell lines are shipped on dry ice but should be stored in standard mammalian cell culture storage conditions using liquid nitrogen for long-term storage.

Our cell lines are not issued with an Expiry or Best Before date.

At Runtogen, our cells are cryopreserved using a rate-controlled freezer and stored in vapour phase Liquid Nitrogen (LN₂). The temperature of Liquid Nitrogen is -196°C, which is below the glass transition point (-132°C) at which biological activity ceases. Our LN₂ cryotanks are continuously temperature monitored to guarantee they are kept permanently below the glass transition point to ensure that there is no ice crystal formation inside the cells and ensure that the cellular material does not deteriorate over time.

On receiving one of our cell ampoules, it is recommended that they are stored in vapour phase LN­­₂ or resuscitated immediately to ensure that cell viability is maintained.

BSL1. Runtogen determines the biosafety level of a material based on our risk assessment as guided by the current edition of Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is your responsibility to understand the hazards associated with the material per your organization’s policies and procedures as well as any other applicable regulations as enforced by your local or national agencies.

Various types of cells including tumor cell lines, regular cell lines, IPS/ES cell lines can be used for CRISPR gene editing services.

Seeding density refers to the number of cells per cm² (for adherent cell lines) or per ml (for suspension cell lines) seeded into a flask when setting up a culture.  Check the subculture routine information available on the product detail page on our website and the data sheet included with your order.

All Runtogen’s Cell Lines are validated by PCR amplification and Sanger Sequencing to confirm the mutation at the genomic level.

To avoid genetic drift, Runtogen recommends passing a cell line for no more than two months of continual culturing before reverting back to frozen stock or fresh cells.

Gene knockout cell lines were created using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, followed by single-cell clonal isolation, validation, and functional testing. All knockout cell lines and their parental lines have been validated at the genomic levels.

Details of the media and culture conditions required for specific cell lines are provided on the product-specific webpage and Datasheet.

If the subculture routine specifies CO₂ is required then it is necessary to provide a CO₂ supply.  If you do not have a CO₂ fed incubator you can manually gas the flasks using gas cylinders with the appropriate mix of air and CO₂. The requirement for CO₂ is linked closely to the type of culture medium used.  Some culture media, such as L15, do not require a supply of CO₂

If your cell culture is found to be contaminated with mycoplasma, it is best to discard the culture and start over. Curing cell lines of mycoplasma contamination is time consuming and does not always work.

Strict aseptic techniques are the best way to prevent cross-contamination of cell cultures. Perform all cell culture manipulations in a vertical laminar flow hood. Obtain cell cultures from reliable sources such as repositories. Work with only one cell line at a time and completely decontaminate the hood between each use. Also, change gloves when changing from one cell line to another. Use a separate bottle of medium and other reagents for each cell culture. Label all media and reagent bottles with the cell culture name and the date the bottle was first used. Use a fresh, sterile pipet for each different operation. Always label all cell culture vessels clearly with the exact name of the cell line and the date. Label all frozen vials of cells clearly with the exact name of the cell line and the date. Use permanent markers; avoid the use of wax markers, pencils or other non-permanent marker. Keep very good records of all cell culture manipulations and dates written in permanent ink in a bound notebook.

For additional information on preventing cross-contamination please see Ian Freshney’s text, Culture of Animal Cells: A Manual of Basic Technique, 6th edition, Wiley-Liss, 2010.

The primer sequences used for our internal genomic validation are provided on the COA and Datasheet provided with the cell lines. We do not provide the PCR reaction conditions as these should be optimized within your own laboratory.

Yes. These gene edited cell lines were generated under the same culture conditions as the parental lines, including culture media. Please refer to the recommended culturing conditions for each cell line provided on our datasheet.

Yes. Cell lines are provided as isogenic pairs – the mutant cell line and the wild type parental cell line.

You will receive a vial of KO cell line and one vial of wildtype host cell line as control.

Our cell line products are intended strictly for research and laboratory purposes only and they cannot be used in and/or on humans or animals in any way or form.

If vials are immersed in liquid phase LN₂ there is a risk of LN₂ seeping into the vial; this could result in cross-contamination and an increased risk of the vial exploding when thawed.

We are currently gathering the related information from our scientists. We highly recommend for you to search the product name, Cat# and our company name in Google scholar to find the relevant publications.

Effective segregation of cell lines is essential to safeguard the credibility of your work especially in shared laboratories. In order to do this we would recommend the following steps:

• make sure the microbiological safety cabinet is clutter free and cleaned before you begin working on your cells. This can be done with 70% IPA on a daily basis.
• only work with one cell line at a time in the cabinet. Once you have finished working on the cell line spray down the cabinet with 70% IPA, allow it to settle and then set up the cabinet for the next cell line. This reduces the chances of cross contamination.
• keep separate and clearly labelled bottles of media and all other reagents for each cell line
• aliquot media and reagents from stock bottles for use in the cabinet where possible. Discard any unused media and reagents; never return this to the stock bottles
• practice good aseptic techniques
• if possible, keep flasks segregated in the incubators
• keep accurate and detailed records