Access Policy for CellBank Australia Cell Lines and Services

Access to CellBank Australia Cell Lines (or those distributed by CellBank Australia)

The primary purpose of CellBank Australia is to act as a repository for storage and distribution of established cell lines. Because essentially all established cell lines continue to proliferate indefinitely, these samples are not limited in amount and can therefore be prepared for distribution at any time provided a sample of the cell line remains within the repository. Access is available to any scientist wishing to use these cultures for non-commercial research purposes, regardless of their location, organisation, or funding source.

Conditions of Access

Conditions of access are set out prior to purchase and follow international best practice for cell line repositories.

All researchers who wish to access cell lines must pay the advertised purchase price and sign a Material Transfer Agreement, both of which will be made available on the CellBank Australia website when cell lines are released for distribution.

Cell lines may be subject to regulation by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS). Cell lines that have been genetically modified are also subject to regulation within Australia by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR). Researchers must therefore be able to comply with AQIS and OGTR’s requirements for safe containment and handling, and a statement within the Material Transfer Agreement will remind them of this.

The repository has no obligations to supply cell lines at a particular passage or population doubling level. Although CellBank Australia handles cultures using good banking practices, which keep population doublings to a minimum, we cannot guarantee that cells will be available at a set passage or population doubling number.

CellBank Australia is not obliged to supply customers with all cell lines deposited within the facility. For example, a proportion of these cultures will not pass quality control testing and therefore will not be considered appropriate for distribution. Only those cell lines that are considered appropriate for distribution will be published on the repository’s website.

Restrictions on Access

Researchers will not be granted permission to access cells for commercial purposes unless they obtain consent from the originator of the cell line. This restriction is included to safeguard the rights of the originator and/or their institution to a share in any profit arising from commercialisation. Researchers will not be granted permission to use cells for any clinical uses. This restriction includes either direct or indirect applications, and includes access for in vitro diagnostic testing. Cell lines are grown solely for research purposes and their production may not comply with all provisions within the code of Good Manufacturing Practice.

Access to CellBank Australia Services

CellBank Australia also provides services to the research community including quality control testing, culture of external cell lines for generation of cell banks, and storage of vials in liquid nitrogen. The overall aim of all services is to promote and maintain good cell culture practice, reducing contamination within research grade cultures and thereby increasing the impact and significance of any subsequent experimental work. Access to services is open to all laboratories performing research-grade cell culture, regardless of location or affiliation.

Conditions of Access

To access quality control testing services, researchers are required to prepare their samples as described on the CellBank Australia website, and fill in and sign the appropriate Request for Analysis form (also available on the website). Testing samples should be shipped by the researcher to the facility using their carrier of choice; packaging should be compliant with IATA requirements and other appropriate regulatory bodies. Samples will be tested in the order that they are received.

To access culture and liquid nitrogen services, researchers are asked to first discuss the service with staff at the facility. We will then prepare a quote which itemises the specifics of the service; this must be accepted before work can proceed. Culture services are both time- and labour-intensive and we must have sufficient space and time available for these to proceed to completion. We may therefore be unable to commence culture until we have the appropriate expertise and incubator space available. Decisions on timing are made based on the order in which quotes are accepted and the information given regarding the cell line to be cultured e.g. its doubling time and handling requirements.

The facility will supply an invoice to the researcher on completion of the service, in accordance with any quotes supplied, prices as displayed on the CellBank Australia website, and associated terms and conditions. CellBank Australia is operated as a not-for-profit facility and all service and cell line payments go solely towards cost recovery.

Restrictions on Access

The facility operates in a PC2 environment. All researchers accessing the facility for testing or culture are required to complete a risk assessment for any samples sent to the facility. We reserve the right to decline access to our services for any samples that we cannot handle and contain appropriately.

Services are appropriate for research-grade culture and quality control only and are not suitable for clinical or diagnostic use.

Please contact the CellBank Manager if you would like to discuss any aspects of the CellBank Australia Access Policy.