Cell culture laboratories working with sensitive cell types can now benefit from a patented new technology, developed to revolutionize cell culture management and ensure optimal sample security across gene therapy, cell therapy and regenerative medicine applications development.

Enabling the segregation of sensitive cells into individual, removable and protected chambers within the same incubator, the Thermo Scientific Cell Locker system offers enhanced protection, stability and flexibility for even the most challenging cultures.

"In their quest to grow healthy, viable cells for the development of novel immunotherapy, gene therapy, T-cell therapy and stem cell therapy approaches, cell culture labs are often forced to use multiple incubators to reduce the risk of cross contamination between cell types," said Sung-Dae Hong, vice president and general manager, laboratory equipment technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "Our advanced Cell Locker technology eliminates the need for multiple incubators for small cell populations, saving customers’ capital investment and lab space, while delivering the secure growth environment required to preserve the integrity of sensitive cultures for therapeutic use."

Dividing an incubator into six separate autoclavable polycarbonate chambers, the Cell Locker system is designed to quarantine different cell types or projects, making it safe to keep different cultures within close proximity. Independent testing has demonstrated that microbial contaminants cannot penetrate or escape a closed chamber, greatly reducing cross contamination potential. At the same time, door openings affect only the cells grown within the specific chamber being accessed, while conditions across the other chambers remain stable and consistent for optimal growth.

The new Cell Locker system is available for the Thermo Scientific Heracell VIOS 160i and Thermo Scientific Forma Steri-Cycle i160 CO2 incubators, which have been optimized with a six-segmented inner door configuration to accommodate the individual chambers. Each Cell Locker chamber can hold nine T-75 cell culture flasks, 20 six-well plates or 24 96-well plates, meeting a wide range of application needs. For added versatility, the design allows users to use all six Cell Locker chambers or combine a few Cell Locker chambers with traditional shelf space.

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