Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture

Tissue Procurement

Tissue Procurement Core Facility (TPF)

Tissue Procurement Core Facility (TPF) supports and enhances cancer-related translational, clinical, population and basic science research by providing UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center members with a centralized, coordinated, quality-controlled, quality-assured facility for procurement, processing, storage, and distribution of normal and malignant human specimens. Included in these services is the processing of blood for serum, plasma, packed red blood cells, and buffy coats. Additional biospecimens collected and stored by the facility, especially in support of epidemiology studies, include fat biopsies, toenails, urine, and other body fluids as defined by the research study.

The MLI Tissue Procurement and Cell Culture Core provides standardized cell cultures for CF research. The TPC serves as a central source of normal, CF and disease control cells, tissues and fluids for a wide array of uses.  The core currently offers seven different cell types and three different types of growth media

Cell Culture

Human Pluripotent Cell Core Facility

The Human Pluripotent Cell Core Facility provides UNC scientists and outside collaborators with services to successfully conduct basic as well as translational research using human embryonic stem (hES) cells and human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells.
Types of Services & Support Available:
1. Reprogramming human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells
We are using the latest protocols to generate, clonally expand and characterize human induced pluripotent stem (hiPS) cells from a variety of tissue-type fibroblasts. We generate iPS cells using lentiviral transduction and feeder-free conditions and perform quality control experiments to verify the pluripotency of the iPS cells. We are also working on reprogramming peripheral blood cells as well as keratinocytes.
2. Expanding human embryonic stem cell lines
We use the most current protocols to maintain and expand hES cell lines under feeder-free conditions on substrates such as matrigel or fibronectin. For researchers that have purchased human embryonic stem cell lines but do not have the expertise in manipulating these cells, we can thaw, validate, expand and cryopreserve them.
3. Differentiation studies using both hES as well as hiPS cells
We are using current protocols as well as generating new ones to differentiate hES and hiPS cells into a variety of cell types (neuronal progenitor cells, endothelial cells, retinal progenitor cells as well as cardiomyocytes). We are optimizing protocols for hES/hiPS differentiation into mesenchymal, hepatocyte as well as other cell types.

Tissue Culture Facility

The Tissue Culture Facility exists primarily to fulfill UNC Lineberger researchers’ cell culture and related requirements; however, the facility may be used by anyone at UNC or other institutions as long as UNC Lineberger member support capacity is not exceeded.

The TCF has the capability and expertise to respond to the rapidly changing research that relies on in vitro cell culture techniques and materials. Cell culture reagents and molecular biology supplies support is the main function of the TCF. The facility supplies almost any medium, reagent, additive or consumable item required in cell culture and molecular biology research at a deep discount with prompt on-site availability.

Items not in stock can be ordered for UNC Lineberger members at a discounted rate as compared to standard UNC purchasing channels, and all TCF orders receive FREE delivery.

Cell cryopreservation and storage, mycoplasma testing and str profiling are also provided.

List of Biorepositories at UNC

The Office of Research Technologies maintains a list of bio-repositories at UNC. This list was not created centrally and should not be considered complete. To add a bio-repository to this list please contact ORT at corefacilities@med.unc.edu