Support Units

Cell Biology unit

Isabella Ponzanelli
IFOM
c/o IFOM-IEO Campus, building 4
Via Adamello, 16
20139 Milan, Italy
tel. + 39 02 574303351 (office) - + 39 02 574303315 (laboratory)
isabella.ponzanelliifom-ieo-campus.it
ifom-ccifom-ieo-campus.it

Members: Daniela Nicosia, Stefania Lavore, Ilaria Rancati

The I.F.O.M. Cell Biology Unit takes care of institute cell bank and cell culture facility.
It provides by request every kind of cell line, by thawing or, if necessary, ordering them to international cell banks.

Researchers can ask for subconfluent plates and transfection plating (phoenix cells only) on Monday, Wednesday or Friday before 1 p.m. by writing their requests on the dedicated sheet in cell culture room (building 2, 2nd floor). Hela cells and thawing can be asked everyday.

Most frequently used cell lines (Phoenix, U2OS, Hela) are kept in culture continuously without antibiotics.
Inclusion of antibiotics in medium is unnecessary for routine management of cells. Moreover, it provides a cover for inadequate technique, antibiotic resistant organisms may arise and cryptic microbial contamination may be masked.

Staff performs routinely mycoplasma testing (mycoplasma.pdf, 40 Kb) for everybody needing it and for all newly coming cell lines. Contact staff to know when next test will be performed.

Just to remind: an untested cell line must be considered as potentially contaminated and must be cultured in dedicated spaces. Mycoplasma infection can have marked effects on gene expression and cell behaviour and work done with mycoplasma-infected cells cannot be regarded as valid (J.R.W. Masters, 2000).

A list of common reagents (most of which are prepared and /or tested by Cell Biology Unit) is available in each cell culture room. (reagents_list.pdf , 36 kb)

Cell Biology unit attends to cell culture( cell_rules.pdf , 49 kb), human primary cells (human_cell.pdf, 44 Kb) and virus room organization (virus_room.pdf, 33 kb), set up new protocols and test new experimental conditions.
Protocols, handbook and biosafety guidelines are available in Cell Culture room D.
The staff provides by request cell culture training. (suggestions.pdf, 49 kb)