Regular Supply of Large Numbers of Standard Continuous Line Cells

Abstract

THE use of continuous line tissue culture cells appeals to many biologists because successive quantitative experiments may be carried out on standard populations of genetically homogeneous cells. But there are many difficulties in such standardization which are magnified when large numbers of cells are required. The major hazards are genetic change and contamination of cultures by a variety of organisms. The most insidious sort of contaminant is the organism the growth of which is partly suppressed by the antibiotics in the medium so that its presence goes undetected for many passages.