Cell
Senescence Culture Facility (CSCF)
Director: Trygve Tollefsbol,
PhD, DO
Department/Center Association: Biology/Center for Aging
Established: 1999
The mission of
the Cell Senescence Culture Facility (CSCF) is to facilitate understanding of
the basis of aging and to encourage the study of age-related diseases using in vitro models of senescent cell
lines. Its purpose is to provide various
types of aging cells to investigators interested in the aging process. A prime goal of the CSCF is to develop a
research focus that impinges on the understanding of the basic phenotypic
changes in senescent cells as well as the prevention of senescent pathways.
One of a few such
facilities in the country, the CSCF is designed to not only facilitate studies
of aging, but to also participate in new investigations in the mechanism of
cellular aging and age-related diseases such as cancer. The facility is available to UAB investigators
who are actively involved in studies of cellular aging as well as those who are
considering aging studies. In addition
to basic scientists, clinical faculty with ongoing studies
related to the aging process are invited as collaborators.
Facility
Description
The Core is
located on the UAB campus in Campbell Hall, Room 175. There are two independent tissue culture
rooms with inverted phase microscopes. Digital
photography of living cells is performed using the Nikon triocular phase
contrast light microscope and the Nikon 990 digital camera. The facility has several incubators that can
be used to control culture conditions for special studies. Cells are passaged to a pre-determined
population doubling or to senescence as identified by morphological
standards. Cell storage service is
provided in liquid nitrogen. Harvested cell
pellets for protein or DNA purification are processed and/or may be frozen in
the liquid nitrogen storage. The
facility also provides services for immuno-histochemistry
analysis using specified antibodies, examination of telomerase activity, and
analysis of biomarkers of aging such as the senescence-associated beta-galactosidase assay.
Research
Information
Services include growing and
supplying various cell lines to investigators who have an interest in cell
senescence or age-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease; osteoporosis,
bone, and metabolic diseases; degenerative joint disease; cancer; and CNS
disorders as well as many other age-related conditions. The Core also collects and maintains an aging
cell line repository for the storage of cell lines that provides ready access
of cells to all interested investigators.
The Core supports the conduct of research into the fundamental and
clinical aspects of cell senescence using specific cell lines to probe the cell
culture characteristics of phenotypic changes and underlying molecular or
metabolic changes. Additionally, Core
personnel offer a consultation service in growing various age-related cell
lines for experimental projects.
Aging-related project design and planning services are also offered.
We grow the cells so you can do
the research.
Contact
Information
Core Director: Trygve Tollefsbol, PhD, DO
Email: trygve@uab.edu
Phone: 205-934-4587
Web
sites:
http://www.aging.uab.edu/CSCF/index.html
http://www.uab.edu/uabbio/tollefsb.htm
Approved by:
Date: February 22, 2008
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