CELL CULTURE BASICS Handbook

Abstract

Cell Culture Basics Companion Handbook is a supplement to the Cell Culture Basics instructional videos available online at www.lifetechnologies.com/cellculturebasics . The handbook and videos are intended as an introduction to cell culture basics. The first four chapters of the handbook focus on cell culture, covering topics such as getting familiar with the requirements of a laboratory dedicated to cell culture experiments, laboratory safety, aseptic technique, and microbial contamination of cell cultures, as well as providing basic methods for passaging, freezing, and thawing cultured cells. The subsequent two chapters of the handbook focus on various transfection technologies and provide general guidelines for the selection of the appropriate transfection method, the transfection of cells with plasmid DNA, oligonucleotides, and RNA, as well as culture preparation for in vitro and in vivo transfection and selection of the transfected cells. The information and guidelines presented in the handbook and the instructional videos focus on cell lines (finite or continuous) and omit experiments and techniques concerning primary cultures and stem cells, such as isolating and disaggregating tissues, reprogramming cells into pluripotent stem cells, or differentiating stem cells into various lineages. Note that while the basics of cell culture experiments share certain similarities, cell culture conditions vary widely for each cell type. Deviating from the culture conditions required for a particular cell type can result in different phenotypes being expressed; we therefore recommend that you familiarize yourself with your cell line of interest, and closely follow the instructions provided with each product you are using in your experiments.