Developmental Biology and Stem Cells

Overview/History

The ATCC Stem Cell Collection was established in 2000.  The program maintains and distributes one of the largest stem cell collections available (over 70 stem cell-related cell lines), including: 

  • embryonic and somatic stem cells
  • embryonal carcinoma cells
  • mouse and human feeder cell lines 

The ATCC Stem Cell Collection continues to focus on accession and characterization of stem cell and progenitor cells, and on providing authenticated, high-quality tools to the research community.

Authentication

The ATCC Developmental Biology Program employs state-of-the-art technologies for the authentication of human ES cell lines, mouse ES cell lines and mouse feeder cells. Five critical tests address the major concerns of researchers and clinicians working with human ES cell lines and are conducted routinely by ATCC:  

  1. Sterility — confirms the absence of contaminating organisms such as bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma and human viruses
  2. Identity — confirms species and identity through STR analysis and HLA typing
  3. Stemness — confirms the cells are in the undifferentiated state using immunocytochemistry, alkaline phosphatase assay, telomerase expression (TRAP), and gene expression (qRT-PCR and global gene expression)
  4. Stability — confirms the integrity of nuclear genomes using cytogenetics and SNP profile
  5. Pluripotency — confirms the ability of hESCs to generate various differentiated cell types using teratoma formation and characterization, as well as embryoid bodies formation. 

Germline transmission tests are performed on mouse ES cell lines. In addition, human ES cell growth support test is performed, routinely, for all human and mouse feeder cells.

 

Products

Products offered by the Developmental Biology Program include:  

Developmental Biology Staff

Name: Soren Mogelsvang, PhD, University of Cambridge, England (Cell Biology; 2000)
Responsibility: Research & Collection Scientist
Special Interest: Soren’s research is focused on developing cell systems and models for use in ADME/tox and other cell based assays. This research combines 3D cell culture, cell derivation and technologies such as high content analysis. In addition, Soren is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Cell Biology Collection group, which maintains the master and working cell banks for this collection. This effort involves cell line characterization, authentication and expansion under ISO guidelines. Prior to joining the ATCC, Soren worked as an Instructor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where his research was focused on sphingolipid induced cytotoxicity, and as Director of Laboratory and Production at Affinity BioReagents.    
Soren Mogelsvang Selected Publications
 
 
Name: Yvonne A. Reid, PhD, Howard University, 1986
Responsibility: Cell Biology/Collection Scientist
Special Interest: Dr. Reid’s dissertation focused on the isolation and characterization on monoclonal antibodies directed against epitopes expressed on human umbilical chord endothelial cells. Dr. Reid joined ATCC in 1980 and during the mid-1980s, her research focused on the use of DNA hypervariable probes for the intraspecies identification of cell lines. The evolution of this work has led to the implementation of routine screening of all human cell lines by STR analysis. Dr. Reid has more than 29 years of experience in cell biology, immunology and molecular biology. As Collection Scientist for the Cell Biology Program, she is responsible for overseeing the acquisition, authentication and characterization of over 3,400 accessioned animal cell lines and hybridomas in the Cell Biology General Collection. Dr. Reid has authored over 23 peer-reviewed publications (Cancer Research, American Journal of Human Genetics, Epidemiology) and has served on more than a dozen scientific committees, including as an ad hoc member of the Comparative Medicine Review committee, National Center for Research Resources (NIH); Chairperson, of ad hoc advisory member for the National Cell Culture Center, Minneapolis, MN; Member of the 2005-2010 USP Fetal Bovine Serum ad hoc Advisory Panel. In addition, Dr. Reid has served as the principal investigator on six government and nongovernment contracts. She has been invited to speak, convene and/or chair sessions at several cell biology conferences (including the Bioanalysis Thinkshop sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and IRMM, Geel, Belgium and Faculty member for a cell culture training course sponsored by UNESCO and held at the Sino-Danish Postgraduate Training Center, Beijing, China.