CALM Cell Culture ROOM (B160B)
How to access it
Please send us an email at calm@mcmaster.ca describing your project and requirements.
This is a Biosafety Level 2 area, therefore all users accessing it will need to have an up-to-date Biosafety Training from MOSAIC.
QUARANTINE
If you wish to bring over cell lines from outside, these will have to undergo a quarantine period of 1-2 weeks. During this quarantine period, only CALM staff will be allowed to maintain the cell line – if the cells have any specific requirements, please let us know in advance. After the quarantine period, we shall perform a mycoplasma detection test and, if the cells are clean, they can be used freely in the facility! This measure is to prevent any mycoplasma contaminated cell lines from being present in this shared space.
For more information on why this measure is in place please consult the following paper – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3463982/
Once, and if your cells clear the quarantine and mycoplasma test, we strongly recommend creating a frozen stock that can be kept in liquid nitrogen within CALM premises. If using these stocks, any future work will not need quarantine or testing.
CONSUMABLES
CALM does not provide cell culture consumables (serological pipettes, pipettes, media, serum, etc) to its users. However, you can keep your own stocks in our fridge, -20C freezer and cabinet space (we can discuss this more in detail once you come over).
Users can and should keep their lab coats in the coat rack located inside the cell culture space.
TRAINING
If you would like to have your students trained on proper cell culture techniques, our staff can accommodate that. We reserve the right to check and rectify any bad practices our already trained users might be used to.
EQUIPMENT
- 2 Biosafety cabinets (to be reserved through our macLIMS booking system)
- 3 incubators containing 4 racks each (one of the incubators is reserved for quarantine)
- Centrifuge
- Optical microscope
- Fridge and freezer
- Analytical balance
- pH meter
- Water bath with sonication
RATES
Biosafety cabinets – 7CAD/h
One rack in the incubator, one rack in our liquid nitrogen storage, equipment – flat fee of 30CAD/week or 100CAD/month.
For special projects requiring the use of a full incubator – please multiply the fee by 4!
Staff training – 60CAD/h