Cell culture technology plays an essential role in modern cancer research. The Cell Culture Facility (CCF) serves as a customized pay-for-service Facility that provides expertise, technical support, reagents, equipment, liquid nitrogen storage, and training to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of using mammalian cell culture in Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) laboratories. This Facility provides technical assistance and consultation services in tissue culture techniques, centralized liquid nitrogen banking, mycoplasma screening services, the preparation of custom and standard culture media and supplements, performance testing of fetal bovine serum, cell propagation, and technical support and supplies for mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell transfection and culture. Major efforts by the CCF include carrying 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, and establishing gene """"""""knockout"""""""" or """"""""knock-in"""""""" Embryonic Stem (ES) cells to generate genetically manipulated mice. Since the last review the Center established a governing body for the CCSG supported Shared Resources called the Facility Parent Oversight Committee (FPOC). The FPOC recommended in 2008 that the CCF incorporate the Hybridoma Facility, which was previously approved as a distinct CCSG Facility. This merger has provided operational efficiencies by centrally locating the merged staff. Economic efficiencies have been achieved by reducing total staff by 2.05 FTE, and by presenting a reduced overall request from the CCSG. The merged CCSG budget request is $19,724 less than the combined levels approved for previously two distinct cores at the last review. In 2009, the Facility served 47 investigators with peer-reviewed funding. Service was provided to all five of the Center's CCSG Research Programs. Peer-reviewed, funded research accounted for 95.3% of CCF usage in calendar year 2009. Based on an annual quality survey administered by the FPOC, the Facility is highly regarded among faculty users, and received an """"""""Outstanding to Excellent"""""""" rating at the last CCSG review. In the past five years, the demand for CCF services has remained strong. Importantly, the Facility supplies the FCCC community with valuable on-site expertise for a host of established cell culture protocols, consultation in the design and evaluation of experiments, training in cell culture methodologies, high quality culture media and supplements, and adaptable assistance delivered in a cost-effective manner.
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