Staff:

Zack Z. Wang, PhD
Core Director
207-885-8313
wangz@mmc.org

Tamara Anderson, BS
207-885-8250
Andert1@mmc.org

Overview:

The ES Cell Core is the second component of the Cell Separation and Analysis Core. The purpose of the ES Cell Core is to provide an institutional resource for the study of embryonic stem (ES) cells.  This core will provide technical support, training, and services for stem cell research.

Mouse ES cell lines will be maintained with appropriate quality assurance in the facility.  The technical support provided by the facility will include teaching of methods for the maintenance, transduction, and differentiation of the cells.  The facility will provide short-term culture and manipulation of the cells for individual investigators.  In addition, the core will provide ready access of ES cell reagents (RNAs, Genomic DNAs, and proteins) to individual investigators without either the need for specialized space, or the need to develop specialized technical skills required for ES cell work.

In addition, the ES Cell Core will provide technical support and training for human ES cell culture (NIH approved human ES cell lines: H1 and H9 human ES cells).

Services:

Mitomycin C inactivated feeder cells (mouse embryonic fibroblasts: MEFs)

• MEFs prepared from CF-1 mice (Charles River Laboratories) or C57BL/6 mice (The Jackson Laboratory)
• MEFs that are resistant to G418 (C57BL/6J-TgN from The Jackson Laboratory)
• MEFs that are resistant to G418, 6-thioguanine, puromycin and hygromycin established from TgN(DR4)1 Jae/J mice (The Jackson Laboratory) (available in September, 2006)

Murine ES cell lines

• Providing ES cells for in vitro and in vivo study
• Consolidating mouse ES cell lines
• Freezing, thawing, and expansion of ES cell lines
• Providing RNA and protein from undifferentiated ES cells and differentiated embryoid bodies (EBs)
• Providing FBS and other reagents for ES cell culture

Other services are available per request

• Expression of transgenes in ES cell: lentiviral transduction (human ES cells) or electroporation transfection (mouse ES cells)
• Re-derivation of mouse ES cell lines (with The Mouse Transgenic and MRI Core)

Service Requests:

A Service Request Form can be downloaded from the website.  The form must be filled out completely with as much detailed information as possible.  The completed form must include the signature and account number of the Principal Investigator of the lab requesting services.  Completed forms should be submitted to Tamara Anderson.