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Cells, Tissues, and Organoids

The Cells, Tissues, and Organoids team provides technical and collaborative services to Stowers Institute scientists whose research involves the development and culture of cell lines and tissues for biological investigation.

The Cells, Tissues, and Organoids Center is hiring!

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Overview of Services

Research Services

The Cells, Tissues, and Organoids team at Stowers comprises a group of experienced cell culture specialists who are dedicated to supporting the research staff in their tissue culture needs. The team provides mycoplasma testing, cell banking, small and large-scale cell expansion, transfection services, lentivirus production and transduction, CRISPR mutant cell line establishment, 3D organoids, and primary cell line derivation. Personal cell lines can be deposited in the Cells, Tissues, and Organoids library with the proper testing and IBC approval as needed. The Cells, Tissues, and Organoids team also provides training in various techniques for Stowers researchers.

Technologies

Routine services

  • Small scale of mammalian cell line culture and cell banking (plates and T vessels)
  • Large scale of mammalian cell expansion (spinner vessels and roller bottles)
  • Small scale of insect cell line culture and cell banking (plates, T vessels and small shakers)
  • Large scale of insect cell expansion (large shakers and spinner vessels)
  • Fish cell culture and cell banking (plates and T vessels)
  • Mouse ES cell culture and cell banking
  • Human iPS cell culture and cell banking
  • Establishment of stable cell line by plasmids transfection
  • Mycoplasma testing, RADIL testing, STR profiling and karyotyping

Special projects

  • Mouse intestinal organoids derivation from mouse intestinal tissue
  • Human cerebral organoids (mini-brain) derivation from human iPSCs
  • Primary cell line derivation
  • Mouse ES and human iPSC mutant cell line establishment by gene editing such as CRISPR, homologous recombination etc.
  • Lentivirus production and transduction for stable cell line establishment
  • Lentivirus production and transduction for customized genome study
  • CRISRPi and CRISPRa genome screening
  • Other customized projects on tissue culture

Equipment utilized

  • Level II Biological safety cabinet (17)
  • Beckman Coulter Vi-Cell XR
  • Sanyo MCO-20A/C incubators (20)
  • Bellco Roller Bottle incubators (3)
  • Leica DMIL microscopes (2)
  • Lecia DMIL LED microscope
  • Eppendorf Multiporator
  • Beckman Allegra 6R centrifuge
  • Beckman Allegra X-15R centrifuge
  • Labnet Multigene thermocycler
  • Innova 2100 and 2300 shaking platforms (8)
  • Bellco Magnetic Stirrers (16)
  • Powers Scientific refrigerated incubator
  • Precision refrigerated incubators (2)
  • Incucyte
  • Echo

Software & Computing

Incucyte live cell confluency, cell growth curve and fluorescence percentage analysis after transfection or transduction.

Incucyte® Live-Cell Analysis

Organoids

The Cells, Tissues, and Organoids team can grow miniature organoids including intestines and brains. From a single cell, when given the proper differentiation instructions, these “organs” develop in culture and are functional tools to explore complex structure and genetics.

Team Contact

Chongbei Zhao

Director, Cellular, Tissue, and Molecular Biology

Stowers Institute for Medical Research

Portrait of Chongbei Zhao

Newsletter & Alerts