how to start with a new cell line ? - how to start with a new cell line ? (Jun/12/2010 )

Hii....
I got a vial of HeLa cells from ATCC....what should be my first step in growing them? how do i proceed with passaging? Do i make master and working stocks?


Thanks for helping

The first thing you should do is ensure that you can do basic cell culture, and that you have the appropriate medium/FCS and equipment for the cell line you are using. I would also have a read of a good cell culture book such as Culture of Animal Cells by R.I. Freshney, which will tell you the appropriate steps to take for starting with a new cell line.

Basically, the major thing to do is to freeze down stocks at each passage, to ensure that you have minimal drift of the cells that you are using currently from the parent line. HeLa are heavily used around the world and as such are well characterised, so changes in gene expression/phenotype/morphology should be relatively easy to pick up.