Technical Training: Basic Human Embryonic Stem Cell Culture

The Massachusetts Human Stem Cell Bank currently offers a training course on the culture of human embryonic stem cells.This course is taught by a team of instructors from the Massachusetts Human Stem Cell Bank that have extensive day-to-day experience in hESC culture as well as experience with instructional design and education techniques.  We offer a low (1:2) instructor to student ratio to ensure personalized instruction.


Course details:
The 3-day course offers both lecture and laboratory based instruction. All attendees will receive a full set of culture protocols.


The laboratory portions of the course cover the following topics:
  • Reagent preparation
  • Thawing and seeding of MEF feeders
  • Thawing and seeding of hESCs
  • Evaluation of hESC quality
  • Passaging (splitting) of hESCs
  • Cryopreservation of hESCs

The lecture based sessions cover:

  • Basic hESC biology
  • Keys to the successful culture of hESCs
  • How to identify and obtain hESCs
  • Overview of essential quality control assays 
Training Lab 

   

Courses Scheduled:
The Basic Human ES Cell Culture course is currently offered in quarterly sessions.
To maintain a low instructor to student ratio, the course is currently limited to 6 students per session.
We recommend contacting us prior to applying to obtain the most up-to-date information regarding session status.

E-mail:  stemcelleducation@umassmed.edu


 Session Dates Status
 09-06June 24 - 26Completed
09-09Sept. 23 - 25Completed
09-12Dec. 9 - 11FULL
10-03Mar. 24 - 26FULL

Next course date - TBA		 Application form



Prerequisites:
Due to the nature of hESC culture and time constraints, course enrollees must have:

  1. An understanding of aseptic (sterile) technique
  2. An understanding of the principles of animal cell culture
  3. At least six months of recent, hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture



Cost:
The Basic Human ES Cell Culture course is currently offered free of charge to researchers from academic, government and non-profit institutions.
Attendees are responsible for their own travel and accomodations.

 

Directions:
The course is taught at the University of Massachusetts Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, located in the Rose and Gordon Laboratories at 222 Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury, MA  01545.  (Google Map)

Detailed directions and accomodation information