Human cell lines and cell culture technology are used in a number of biomedical research and clinical applications including cancer research, drug discovery, genetics, biobanking, and more. However, misidentification of human and animal cell lines has been a long-standing problem with awareness of the issue going back as far as the 1950s. The use of misidentified cell lines continues today in spite of multiple and repeated warnings, articles, and letters by prominent scientists in the field calling for authentication. In January of 2012 ATCC, in collaboration with Working Group members representing a spectrum of universities and institutions, published the ANSI Guidelines entitled, Authentication of Human Cell Lines: Standardization of STR Profiling. This document details, among many other important recommendations, the use of STR (short tandem repeat) markers for profiling human cell lines for identification and authentication. In this talk, the use of Promega's STR Systems will be discussed with particular focus on implementing their use for researchers and labs desiring to authenticate their human cell lines. Specific topics will include sample preparation, STR kit considerations, profile analysis, and database searching and matching.

About the speaker

Lisa M. Ortuno is a clinical technology development specialist at Promega Corporation. She holds MS and PhD degrees in biology from the University of South Carolina where she studied the population genetics of American alligators using microsatellite (STR) and Sanger sequencing technology. Currently she is utilizing her experience and expertise with commercial STR kits on capillary electrophoresis instruments to provide technical support and training for labs using Promega STR kits in non-forensic and paternity settings.