Cell culturethe controlled growing of cells outside their natural environmentmay be commonplace in molecular biology laboratories, but one thing that strikes fear in both novices and experts using these techniques is contamination. Whether it occurs via chemicals (impurities in media, sera, and water) or biological components (bacteria, viruses, and mycoplasma), contamination can bring research to a halt, wasting both time and money and possibly raising doubts about the validity of a laboratorys findings. Studies have shown that up to 30% of animal cell cultures are contaminated by either microorganisms or other cells.While no researcher is immune to this common problem, an introduction to and/or refresher on good aseptic techniques can help reduce the occurrence of contamination and possibly its severity. This webinar will be a master class for all those who perform primary and immortalized cell culture. It will discuss best practices and common pitfalls, with a special section dedicated to the dangers of contamination and ways to avoid it. An additional section will be devoted to protein expression in suspension. This webinar should be equally beneficial to both novices and experts in cell culture.

During the webinar, the speakers will:

This webinar will last for approximately 60 minutes.

Johns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimore, MD

Stowers Medical InstituteKansas City, MO

Dr. Zhao, originally from Henan Province, China, graduated from Zhengzhou University with an M.D. degree. She earned her Ph.D. in veterinary pathobiology from the University of Missouri-Columbia, then completed a 2-year certification in science management at the University of Kansas. In 2012 she joined the Stowers Institute of Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri, as a research coordinator. In 2019, she was promoted to head of Tissue Culture at Stowers and in 2020 was named head of Tissue Culture and Media Prep. With 15 years of experience in cell culture, including 3D organoid culture, primary cell culture, virus work, and gene editing, Dr. Zhao collaborates with Stowers researchers to develop new products and technologies in the cell-culture field.

Science/AAASWashington, DC

Dr. Oberst did her undergraduate training at the University of Maryland, College Park, and her Ph.D. in Tumor Biology at Georgetown University, Washington D.C. She combined her interests in science and writing by pursuing an M.A. in Journalism from the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Oberst joined Science/AAAS in 2016 as the Assistant Editor for Custom Publishing. Before then she worked at Nature magazine, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Endocrine Society, and the National Institutes of Mental Health.

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A cell culture master class: What your cells wish they could tell you - Science Magazine