Cell Culture

Cell Culture

Head of service: Dr. Eduardo Molina Holgado

Teléfono: 925 247 754

E-mail: eduardom@sescam.jccm.es      

Cell culture techniques are essential in today's scientific research, either as a research line on its own or as a complementary tool in other research lines, and have been instrumental in numerous scientific advances in various branches of biomedical sciences. Studies using culture techniques allow us to address subjects as individual cell metabolism, cell cycle, modulation of gene expression, cellular interactions, etc. Developmental biology is another interesting field where the application of these techniques is essential for studying great diversity of cells (that are derived from a single fertilized cell) in a mature organism, as well as cell lines that retain the ability of differentiating in vitro.

The main objective of Cell culture facility is to provide technical support to the internal research groups and train personnel prior to working with cell cultures. We also offer the possibility of incorporating new cell culture protocols and experimentation specifically adapted to each project.

Infrastructure and equipment

The facilities will soon count with a laboratory of more than 200 m2, which will be located in the new research building of the National Hospital for Paraplegics in Toledo. The space will include basic infrastructure with separate areas for carrying out preparation and sterilization of media and reagents, a separate space for washing and preparing the material and an area specifically designed for work with cell cultures.  The latter area will contain a general tissue culture lab, an independent room for handling primary animal tissue cultures and established cell lines cultures, as well as an isolated room with highest level of containment, for handling cultures with pathogens.

Within the basic equipment, the laboratory will count with refrigeration and freezing systems, incubators, centrifuges, scales, microscopes and laminar flow cabinets. The laboratory will also have a proper sterilization systems for different types of reagents and material used. The facility will also dispose of a Time-lapse microscope, which will allow us to observe and study the growth and development of living cells.

The facility currently provides the following services

- Advice on the generation and maintenance of primary cultures and/or established cell lines.

- Preparation of culture media and buffers under sterile conditions.

- Mycoplasma tested cell lines.

- Management, cleaning and maintenance of cell culture laboratory (equipment cleaning, removal of waste plastic and glass, used material replacement).

- Cell culture equipment control and maintenance

- Coordinating and monitoring the proper use of the equipment.

- Daily sterilization of solid and liquid material

- Cryopreservation of cell lines, refill and maintenance of liquid Nitrogen tanks

- Maintenance of cytometers for cell analysis and separation ( FACSCalibur analyzer and separator), as well as two computers for data analysis.