The Stem Cell Core is available for all Salk researchers and members of the La Jolla Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Center program. Those new to hES cell culture will benefit from the hands on training provided by the Core personnel. Those with experience culturing these cells will benefit from the fully equipped and quality tested materials made available.

Getting Approval:

Any research involving human embryonic stem cells at the Salk Institute will require:

1. An ESCRO approved protocol
2. Ethics training for the researchers and PI involved with the experiments.

Stem Cell Core users must receive orientation/training and approval by Dr. Berggren before any work in the facility may be performed. For training purposes, researchers can work under the ESCRO protocol for stem cell culture techniques that is in place for the core facility. However, as the researcher(s) develop their own project, a separate ESCRO approval must be obtained. The Stem Cell Core has MTAs in place for working with the cell lines we have available in the Core.

Access:

The Stem Cell Core Facility is available to researchers 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Access to the facility must be arranged in advance and approved by Travis Berggren.

The Salk Stem Cell Core is dedicated to promoting research involving hES and human iPS cells. The STEM core maintains well-characterized human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines, and provides the physical space and hands on training for scientist to use these pluripotent cells for their research goals. Expertise from the laboratory of Fred H. Gage (http://www.salk.edu/faculty/gage.html) is available for the directed differentiation of hES or iPS cells into neural precursor cells or more mature neural subtypes. We provide all the equipment and supplies for a flat rate of $20/hr. We stock most common media components, which are validated in-house for stem cell culture and available via recharge at cost (in most cases bulk purchase discounts have been negotiated and are passed on to the end user).

In addition we offer:

• Custom stem cell culture techniques training for hES cells or iPS cells.
• Techniques training for EB formation or differentiation into neural lineages.
• Cell-line Karyotype analysis (via Cell Line Genetics or WiCell)
• Mycoplasma Testing of cell cultures.
• Custom produced chemically defined stem cell media for experiments requiring defined factors and control of growth factors added or removed.
• Dedicated facilities and equipment for working with viral vectors and hES or iPS cell lines.

La Jolla Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Center website (NIH Blueprint):
http://www.lajollaneuroscience.org/Default.htm

The Fred H. Gage Laboratory:
http://www.salk.edu/faculty/gage.html

Salk Stem Cell Core Facility:
http://www.salk.edu/labs/stemcell

Stem Cell Core - Director
Salk Institute for Biological Studies
10010 N.Torrey Pines Dr.
La Jolla, CA 92037
858 453-4100 x1993
tberggren@salk.edu