The ability to culture cells in vitro has allowed researchers to unravel the complexities of human biology, understand disease mechanisms, and advance drug discovery, which has led to countless breakthroughs in biomedical research. With thousands of cell lines in use today, each with their own distinct growth requirements, researchers face the challenge of selecting appropriate culture media and reagents. When working with a new cell line, it is common to consult the literature and draw upon the institutional knowledge of other labs to determine the best cultureware, media formulation, and subculturing or cryopreservation techniques. However, the lack of standardization across labs working with the same cell line poses challenges with respect to experimental reproducibility, emphasizing the importance of establishing cell culture best practices to ensure success.

To take the guesswork out of cell culture, Thermo Fisher has developed an easy-to-use online Cell Culture Select Tool. This tool allows researchers to effortlessly search for their cell line of interest from the database to identify the right cell culture solutions to enable a successful cell culture. The tool provides information on the cell line as well as cell culture product recommendations for a variety of cell types, including immortalized cell lines, stem cells, primary cells, and tumoroids (patient-derived cancer organoids). Importantly, these recommendations have been tested and verified within the Thermo Fisher Scientific research and development labs, providing researchers with confidence that the recommendations will yield successful cell culture outcomes.

Thermo Fisher Cell Culture Select Tool

Let’s explore how the Cell Culture Select Tool works. To start the process, I needed to input my cell line of interest into the search bar. I selected the CHO-K1 cell line for the purposes of demonstration. A comprehensive list of available cell types is available here.

After clicking the ‘Show results’ button, I could scroll down to view the detailed information on the cell line, its performance data, as well as view the cell culture product recommendations, including culture media, supplements, and other necessary reagents.

I appreciate there are images of the cell line in culture since cell morphology is an effective method for assessing cell health, growth rate, and differentiation.

The tool further offers a selection of recommended Thermo Fisher, Nunc, Invitrogen, and Gibco products that have undergone validation for use with the CHO-K1 cell line. Covering everything from basal media to various FBS products, the tool provides a comprehensive product list, which simplifies the product selection process and makes it easy for users to place orders.

Additional resources such as protocols and technical documents are also available to provide more information on the cell line of interest.

Overall, the Cell Culture Select is impressive with its user-friendly web interface and comprehensive content. This online tool serves as a valuable resource for researchers of all skill levels, providing access to essential cell culture tools and protocols that are validated and backed by Thermo Fisher’s extensive expertise in cell biology. Cell culture can be challenging, but this new offering from Thermo Fisher helps streamline the path to successful cell culture for a multitude of relevant cell lines so researchers can focus on answering critical scientific questions with confidence.

Learn more at Cell Culture Select, thermofisher.com/cellcultureselect