A large number of diabetes-related research investigations 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 DERC cell bank 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 lymphocytes separation and stimulation, and the production of monoclonal antibodies, and 4) cell sorting in our FACS Facility equipped with an FACS 440, FACSCAN and a Dual Laser FACSTAR Plus. The CSC is located within the reconstructed and equipped interdepartmental tissue culture laboratory complex provided by the Medical Center, and diabetes-related research represents approximately 70% of its activity. Facilities include separate rooms for cell culture, each of which is equipped with CO2 tissue culture incubators and laminar flow hoods. A central laboratory area 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 a separate specially constructed room. Tissue culture services include media preparation and sterility testing, preparation of primary cultures, maintenance and distribution of continuous cell lines, and cryopreservation of cells. Assistance in monoclonal antibody production includes preparation of hybrid clones, and provision to individual investigators of supernatant culture fluids which they can screen for specific antibody production. The FACS facility is used for quantitatively analyzing and separating cells. This core enhances the productivity of diabetes 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 this core facility.
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