The facility trains laboratory personnel in basic sterile and tissue culture techniques. Training is held every other day (usually Monday, Wednesday and Friday) for 2 weeks. The time is about 2 hours per day for a total of about 12 hours.
Monday, Day 1
- Discuss the basics about mammalian cell culture and tissue culture laboratory set up including culture hood, CO2 incubator, water bath and inverted microscope. Explain media preparation and the use of two cell lines- SP2/0 (suspension) and NIH3T3 (adherent).
- Show how to prepare media and prepare media for both cell lines.
- Start the culture of one cell line.
Wednesday, Day 3
- Look at the cells under an inverted microscope, explain cell viability.
- Counting of cells by hemocytometer.
- Depending on the cell count, proceed to split the cells.
- The trainee will thaw the second cell line.
Friday, Day 5
- Explain the properties of attached cells vs cells in suspension, how to harvest cells and the different ways how to care for cells with these different growth characteristics.
- Work with both cell lines and prepare them for the weekend.
- Take samples for mycoplasma testing.
- Explain cell freezing procedure.
- May freeze one of the cell lines.
Monday, Day 8
- Passage both cell lines and take care of them after the weekend.
- Freeze the other cell line.
Wednesday, Day 10
- Passage both cell lines.
- Go over the calculations necessary to seed a multi-well plate with one of the cell lines.
Friday, Day 12
- Passage both cell lines.
- Revisit any procedure that is not clear or that the trainee wants to repeat.
- If the trainee has shown the ability and understanding to perform basic cell culture techniques and care for the cells, they will be presented with a CERTIFICATE.
Please contact Sabine Baxter for details.
