GLP Research Unit – Cell laboratory

The cell laboratory in the Silesian Park of Medical Technology Kardio-Med Silesia is a complex of rooms equipped with specialized laboratory equipment enabling the conduct of cell cultures and their detailed biological analysis.

The cell laboratory is equipped with class II biosafety laminar chambers (BSL II) for sterile and safe handling of biological material, and CO₂ incubators to ensure optimal temperature and humidity conditions for in vitro cell growth and proliferation. In addition, the cell laboratory has the necessary equipment used when working with cell culture, including an autoclave, centrifuges, incubators or shakers.

The cell laboratory conducts cultures of normal, transfected and tumor cells (adherent or suspension), obtained from commercially available cell lines or derived from primary cell cultures. The cell laboratory allows characterization of cultured cells, including evaluation of their morphology (immunocytochemical imaging), viability and proliferation, analysis of surface and intracellular antigens, and cell sorting. The laboratory also has apparatus that allows analysis of enzymatic activity of cells and determination of protein expression and secretion (e.g.: ELISA immunoenzymatic assays, western blot). Access to a liquid nitrogen cryostorage system and -20^oC and -80^oC freezers allows banking and storage of cells and biological samples.

Laboratory equipment

Specialized equipment located in the cell laboratory, including optical, fluorescent and stereo microscopes; a multifunctional plate reader and a flow cytometer enable a wide and detailed range of studies using cultured cells in vitro.

Laboratory microscopes

The laboratory is equipped with specialized microscopes, including Zeiss Axio Zoom.V16, Zeiss Axiovert, Zeiss Axio Observer with incubation chamber, and Zeiss Primovert microscopes enabling observation and image documentation of cultured cells. Fluorescence modules and specialized ApoTome.3 modules built into microscopes in the cell laboratory expand their capabilities and allow a variety of studies based on fluorescence imaging of cells, structures and cellular components. The incubation chamber integrated with microscope, ensuring the appropriate temperature and CO₂ concentration, enables continuous observation and documentation of the progress of cell cultures.

Tecan Spark multimode microplate reader

The Tecan Spark multimode microplate reader has extensive applications in the cellular laboratory. Measuring a wide range of parameters, such as absorbance (UV-NIR), fluorescence or luminescence levels, it enables a wide range of cellular assays, including analysis of cell viability, proliferation or confluence; in vitro cytotoxicity testing, immunoenzymatic assays (ELISA) and determination of nucleic acid concentrations. The equipment allows testing in multi-well plates, NanoQuant plates and assay cuvettes.

The BD FACS Canto II flow cytometer

The BD FACS Canto II flow cytometer has built-in 3 lasers for simultaneous determination of up to 8 parameters in a single sample. It is used for cell cycle analysis, the study of cell viability and the process of cell apoptosis, and immunophenotyping of cells using appropriate fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies against surface or intracellular antigens.

The autoMACS® Pro cell sorter

The autoMACS® Pro cell sorter, using magnetic beads conjugated with an antibody directed against surface antigens characteristic of target cells, allows the selection of cell populations and enables their further cultivation or analysis.