Leaders in Cell Culture Expertise

Two scientific discoveries made by Dr. Lewis L. Coriell would change the course of polio treatment: The use of gamma globulin as a temporary immunity against polio, and optimizing techniques to sustain living human cells in culture, free from contamination. The latter breakthrough allowed scientists to grow the polio virus and work toward the first vaccine.

In the five decades since, Coriell Institute has demonstrated achievement and excellence in cell culture technology, and has developed standard practices in cell characterization and cryopreservation. The ISO9001:2008-certified Coriell Biobank manages more than three million vials of cells, in 100 giant cryogenic tanks full of liquid nitrogen held at -316 degrees Fahrenheit. Coriell has designed electronic catalogues detailing the millions of specimens within the repositories and implemented relational databases as key parts of its bioinformatics mission.

The breadth and diversity of the catalogue is unparalleled. The collections include cell lines and DNA samples for the study of Huntington’s disease, Fragile X syndrome, and cystic fibrosis, and more than 600 other heritable diseases. Coriell also manages several large collections of cell lines and DNA from different human populations for studying genetic variation. In addition, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) are available for the study of Parkinson’s disease, and spinal muscular atrophy.

Key Services

• Establishment of cell lines
• Fibroblasts, endothelial, smooth muscle, and epithelial cell cultures from biopsies
• EBV-transformed lymphoblast lines
• Isolation and cryopreservation of buffy coats (peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC))
• Expansion of cell lines for distribution, stock maintenance, molecular and cytogenetic analysis
• Quality control assessment of existing cell lines
• Curing of cell lines for mycoplasma contamination
• Fail-safe storage of plasma, serum, and other biosamples
• Controlled-access to samples and associated data
• Redundant backup generators for all storage facilities 
• ISO9001:2008 certified

What is Cell Culture?

Tissue culture was first developed in the early 1900’s as a method for studying the behavior of cells – free of the variations that might arise in the whole organism –  in reponse to normal and induced experimental stress. [ Learn More › ]

Biobank Catalog

The Coriell Cell Repositories provide essential research biomaterials to the scientific community by establishing, verifying, maintaining, and distributing cell cultures and DNA. [ Learn More › ]

Tissue and Specialized Cell Laboratory

Coriell's Tissue and Specialized Cell Laboratory establishes differentiated cell lines from human and animal tissue biopsies. [ Learn More › ]

Cell Culture Courses

Coriell Institute is pleased to offer hands-on training opportunities for new users of cell culture and specialty review courses for more experienced researchers. [ Learn More › ]

Working with Coriell

Whether you are interested in sending your samples to Coriell or requesting high-quality biospecimens to investigate your research question from one of Coriell’s collections, we can help. [ Learn More › ]