How CellBank Australia Can Help

As Australia's only national cell line repository, CellBank Australia is an essential part of Australia's national research infrastructure.  Our facility promotes Good Cell Culture Practice and provides quality-validated cell lines and cell culture-related services on a cost-recovery basis to the Australian and international research community.

Facilities and Networks that Enhance and Accelerate Research

In 2014, CellBank Australia was included in the NHMRC list of facilities and networks that health and medical researchers may choose to use as a resource to enhance and accelerate their research.

The NHMRC list, whilst not exhaustive, provides a significant description of facilities and networks aimed at supporting the Australian research effort. NHMRC funding may be used to pay for such services if it can be demonstrated that the service is a direct cost required to achieve the goals of a NHMRC-funded research project.

Applicants should consult with relevant services to obtain actual costings to be included with their NHMRC grant application.

To access the NHMRC list of facilities and networks, click here.

 
Validity of Research Outcomes: Impact of Contaminated Cell Lines

In a 7 November 2011 notice titled, "Use of Cultured Cell Lines for Research," the Australian NHMRC recognized that the use of contaminated cultured cell lines is a major concern for health and medical research, and encouraged all researchers to test their cell lines for authenticity and mycoplasma contamination. That principle was then reflected in the NHMRC's funding rules.

The NHMRC Funding Rules 2015 state that: "Concern exists within the scientific community regarding the impact of contamination with mycoplasma and other cells in eukaryotic cell lines and the use of incorrectly characterized cells lines on the validity of research outcomes. NHMRC recommends that researchers employ quality assurance procedures to ensure their eukaryotic cell lines are free from mycoplasma and other contaminant cells, and are verified as the cell type required."

To read the 2011 NHMRC notice, click here. To read the NHMRC Funding Rules 2015, click here.