Cell Culture Services

QED offers a comprehensive menu of Cell Culture Services including hybridoma optimization, cell banking, cell line storage, and Mycoplasma testing.  If we have not included a Cell Culture Service that you need, please call us.  Chances are we can help.  We have many years of experience in propagating and evaluating numerous types of cell lines, and we welcome the opportunity to put that experience to work for you.

Hybridoma Optimization
Re-Cloning: If you have a hybridoma that has diminished in levels of antibody production, or if monoclonality is in question, QED will rigorously subclone hybridomas and establish new monoclonal cell lines selected for maximum antibody productivity. A small amount of antigen (~1 mg) will be required to test subclones for antibody production, or samples can be sent to you for testing in your laboratory.

Price: $1,700 per hybridoma

Re-Fusion: If you have a hybridoma that has diminished in levels of antibody production, or no longer grows well, QED will re-fuse hybridomas to two different myeloma cell lines and establish new monoclonal cell lines for you. A small amount of antigen (~2 mg) will be required to test a re-fusion, or samples can be sent to you for testing in your laboratory.

Hybridoma Re-Fusion: $3,355 per hybridoma
Re-Fusion Analysis: $2,035 per re-fusion

Cell Banking
Master Cell Banks of your hybridoma cell lines can be prepared at QED. We culture cell lines until sufficient cell numbers are generated, then cells are suspended in cell freezing medium and transferred to 50 cryogenic vials (at least 106 cells per vial). Vials of cells are taken through a careful freezing process until they are frozen in liquid nitrogen tanks. On your request, we will reconstitute two of the frozen vials and confirm cell viability. QED will ship your cell banks to you on dry ice, or we will store them for you at QED (see below). All cell lines sent to QED must be accompanied by certification that they have been tested for Mycoplasma and are negative.

Preparation of Master Cell Banks: $500 per cell line
Shipment of cell lines to client: $150 (international freight additional)

Cell Line Storage
Cell lines are maintained in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen freezers at 150oC or lower. Freezers are located in a secure area in QED's facility and are accessible only by authorized personnel. Cell lines submitted to QED for storage remain the property of the depositor, and they will be released only to the company or individual for whom the deposit was made unless otherwise authorized by the depositor.

Mycoplasma Testing
QED will test cell lines for mycoplasma contamination. Direct culture and Hoechst DNA staining are performed for each sample and can detect all species of mycoplasma. Complete testing requires approximately three weeks. You can send your cell lines to QED in antibiotic-free medium, which is required, or QED will prepare your cells from frozen stocks for this procedure in approximately one week for an additional charge.