Publication Spotlight: Student Research Involving NISTCHO cell lines
Two papers from the Department of Biotechnology, Montgomery County Community College have been published in the Journal of Technological Education (JATE). The first examines the stability of NISTCHO cell lines when they are stored at -80°C. The NISTCHO cell line is a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell line that was engineered to produce cNISTmAb, which is a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the fusion F glycoprotein on the surface of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Stability is an important issue as this cell line is often used as experimental teaching resources, as well as being a mainstay of biomanufacturing. Reading these papers makes it clear that nothing in science should be taken for granted--testing for cell line stability is a great way to both learn lab skills and help future researchers with their work.
First paper:
Comparison of Cryopreservation Conditions on the Performance of NISTCHO Cells. J.T. Fredericks, S. Milligan, H. Doshi, and M. Bryans. Journal of Advanced Technological Education, Vol. 3, Issue 2.
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13315669
The authors examined the NISTCHO cell line, a standard reference cell line for developers of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies as well as an educational resource in biomanufacturing training programs. They found that -80°C storage for up to 30 weeks does not adversely affect cell behavior, (as measured by cell viability, growth, and monoclonal antibody production), an important finding for programs that rely on -80°C freezers.
Second paper:
Assessing the Stability of NISTCHO Cells in Long-Term Culture. S. Nadour, K. Clement, H. Doshi, and M. Bryans. Journal of Advanced Technological Education, Vol. 3, Issue 2. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13546664
Not only do experimental cell lines need to be stable in storage, but they must retain their original characteristics during long-term culture in order to be truly useful and reliable. The authors cultured low passage number NISTCHO cells for approximately 129 cell doublings and found consistent growth characteristics and antibody production from cells that were taken at two-week intervals and used to inoculate fresh cultures. This consistency is of great importance both in the experimental lab and in the biomanfacturing field where high liter demands can require long culture periods.
Learn more about the lead author of this study and the story behind the publication.
For these and other informative papers please visit the Jounal of Advanced Technological Education website (JATE).