Invitrogen Introduces Disposable Stem Cell Passaging Tool

Carlsbad, CA - Invitrogen, a provider of essential life science technologies for research, production and diagnostics, has launched a new disposable device to simplify manual passaging, the process of dividing human embryonic stem cell (hESC) colonies. The tool, STEMPRO EZPassage, will substantially reduce the time required for this crucial step in stem cell research, improve the uniformity and consistency of manual passaging and decrease the amount of training required for newcomers to the field.

The ability to self renew and continually divide is a main characteristic of embryonic stem cells. Cells replicate in culture, form colonies, and eventually outgrow the dish in which they were placed. Researchers must then "passage" the cells to a new dish to allow them to continue growing. Current manual and enzymatic passaging processes are labor-intensive, can take more than 20 minutes, and result in passaged colonies of non-uniform size.

By contrast, the passaging process with STEMPRO EZ Passage can take less than a minute, and the resulting stem cell sub-colonies are uniform. In addition, unlike traditional methods, no extensive training is required for using the STEMPROEZ Passage.

"Passaging is a critical part of any stem cell researcher's workflow," said Joydeep Goswami, Vice President, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. "However, the process has traditionally been painfully laborious and the results are generally less than optimal. Invitrogen's STEMPRO EZ Passage is a truly innovative product, one that works fast, is easy to use, produces reliable, uniform results and makes the process of growing stem cells less intimidating for those new to the field."

Invitrogen is the premier supplier of tools and reagents for stem cell research. The company offers more than 1,200 products tailored to various parts of the stem cell research workflow for embryonic and adult stem cell populations, including Dynabeads for cell separation; pre-conjugated stem cell antibodies from Molecular Probes; and gold standard media from GIBCO such as KNOCKOUT Serum Replacement and MesenPRO RS reduced serum medium for mesenchymal stem cells. The company recently announced the launch of the BG01v/hOG engineered stem cell line, which allows scientists to monitor the pluripotency of hESCs without sacrificing those cells.

A video describing STEMPRO EZ Passage can be found at www.invitrogen.com/stempro/ezpassage

SOURCE: Invitrogen