The Norwegian Core Facility for Human Pluripotent Stem Cells supplies researchers throughout Norway with access to established human ES and iPS cell lines and also the technical services and instruction required for the derivation of iPS cells and the characterization of ES and iPS cell-derived cells. Researchers can obtain ES and iPS cell-related services or make use of the facility to differentiate and characterize cells themselves. The Norwegian Core Facility has a staff of 2 highly trained cell culture technicians and a laboratory technician, and is supported by the SouthEast Regional Health Authority (HSØ).
The Norwegian Core Facility is located on the first floor of Domus Medica in close proximity to the Center's research groups. It houses 140 m² of lab space with 4 fully equipped cell culture rooms (one of which has S2 designation for culture of virus-producing cells), cryopreservation tanks for storage of human pluripotent stem cells, a flow cytometry unit (Beckman Coulter Gallios 3-laser), a Real-Time PCR System (Step-One Plus from Applied Biosytems), imaging equipment for stem cell characterization (Confocal microscope LSM-700 from Zeiss) and fully-contained multichambered controlled atmosphere cell culture and incubation unit which can be used for variable oxygen culture experiments.
With this instrument park, the Core Facility can provide services related to reprogramming, characterization, differentiation and storage of human pluripotent stem cells, environmental control of pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives in vitro, and highly sophisticated 3D tissue construction.
The Core Facility is being used regularly by Center groups and other regional and national user for hES cell culture work, iPS cell reprogramming and characterization, mycoplasma testing, lentivirus production and transduction, flow cytometry, cell sorting and confocal microscopy.
Joel C. Glover, PhD
j.c.glover@medisin.uio.no
Director, The Norwegian Core Facility for Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Professor, Dept of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences
University of Oslo
Hege Fjerdingstad
Hege.Fjerdingstad@rr-research.no
Daily Manager, Research Engineer
The Norwegian Core Facility for Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
