HERM Tissue Culture Rooms

The TCR comprises three dedicated cell culture rooms equipped with:

• Ten Class 2 biosafety flow hoods
• Thirteen incubators – including specialized units for low oxygen or temperature conditions –
• Cell counters
• Amaxa 4D-Nucleofector X Unit
• Light and fluorescence microscopes

Basic equipment and cell culture ware are shared, promoting collaboration and flexibility among research teams. The facility is located near the MedH Flow Cytometry Core Facility and the main lab area, positioning it to support a broad range of experimental needs.

Access and training requirements

The Principal Investigator (PI) is responsible for ensuring that their team members possess the necessary cell culture skills before working independently. Access to the HERM TCR and the online booking system is granted following an introduction seminar that covers facility rules and regulations. By signing the Participation HERM NEO Cell Culture Introduction Seminar document, the researcher confirms their understanding and commitment to the guidelines.

Visitors, short-term collaborators, or students conducting research for less than two months are not required to attend the seminar but must work under the supervision of an experienced user who has completed the training and refresher program. Additionally, mandatory yearly refreshers on routines and rules are provided to all personnel at HERM.

Safety guidelines

• When working with cytostatic drugs, researchers must use the designated ventilated hoods available in each room to ensure safe handling.
• Any external cell lines or primary cells cultured for more than four weeks must be tested for Mycoplasma before introduction into the TCR.
• Before Mycoplasma testing, new cell lines must be kept in the designated quarantine hood and incubators.