The human embryonic stem cell core lab (hES core) is a fully contained culture facility for growing and differentiating human embryonic stem cells for use by Emory and Georgia Tech labs. Because of the difficulty and labor-intensiveness of growing hES, the core facilitates use of hES by investigators who cannot devote specialized personnel for maintenance and handling of these cells.

The first cells to be made available to researchers are the NovoCell line (old Bresagen 01) and WiCell’s H9 line and WiCell’s H1 line, so that both male and female lines are represented. The cells will be grown on mouse embryonic fibroblasts at first (2005) until other methods of cultivation are tested in the lab. Researchers can purchase the cells as undifferentiated colonies for acute experimentation, but all propagation/passaging of cells must be conducted in the core because of MTA restrictions. The core will also perform differentiation protocols for investigators, and then deliver differentiated cells for analysis.

Researchers may also come into the lab to grow cells under supervision of core personnel, or undertake differentiation experiments in the core facility. Research rotations for graduate students may also be arranged.

The hES core is a fully-equipped, self-contained facility, with HEPA filtered air and positive pressure for ideal room conditions. In addition the core has equipment for growing cells at any oxygen concentration from 1-20%. Isolation of genomic DNA, RNA or protein from hES is also a service provided by the core. Cells expanded for investigators may also be stored in the core (liquid N2) for later use. All cultures are monitored daily by experienced personnel.

The Core Facilities at Emory are here to support your research. In order to ensure that the appropriate recognition is attributed to the facilities, please acknowledge the facilities in one of two ways:

Authorship

If your research project involved contributions from any of the School of Medicine's Core Facilities designed or conceiving the experiments, data analysis or interpretation, please recognize the core with co-authorship of papers.

Acknowledgement

If your research project was supported in part by any of the School of Medicine's Core Facilities (but not meriting co-authorship), we ask that you acknowledge the Core(s) in your publications, abstracts, presentations, posters, grant proposals, etc using variations of the following text:

"This research project was supported in part by the [insert name of the Core(s)] of the Emory University School of Medicine."