A large number of human immunology research investigators at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center depend upon the use of cell culture and associated techniques. The Cell Science Core (CSC) Facility satisfies the needs of investigators by providing services in four major areas: 1) a variety of routine cell culture services, 2) a cell banks has been established to provide participants with a variety of cell lines for their work, 3) a number of specialized immune cell culture services, including lymphocyte separation, stimulation and development of human cell lines, and 4) cell sorting in our FACS Facility equipped with a FACS 400, FACSCAN and a Dual Laser FACSTAR Plus. The CSC is located within the reconstructed and equipped interdepartmental laboratory complex provided by the Medical Center, and human immunology research is a significant component of its activity. Facility include separate rooms for cell culture, each of which is equipped with CO2 tissue culture incubators and laminar flow hoods. A central laboratory areas contains a programmed cell freezer, centrifuges, liquid nitrogen refrigerators for cell storage, and equipment for preparation of culture media. Fluorescence activated cell sorters are located in two separate specially constructed rooms. Tissue culture services include media preparation and sterility testing, preparation of primary cultures, maintenance and distribution of continuous cell lines, and cryopreservation of cells. The FACS facility is used for quantitatively analyzing and separating cells. This Core enhances the productivity of human immunology research by: a) providing services not available in individual laboratories; b) allowing investigators to focus on their particular projects without the need to develop cell banks, cell sorting capabilities and other facilities in their own laboratories; and c) by encouraging interactions between investigators who share the resources of their core facility.
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