About Us
The Cell Center was established in 1989 as a core resource for a gene mapping program project. It was a way to bridge the gap between the molecular biology community and the clinical sciences, especially with respect to inherited disorders. The lab was initially established to produce immortalized cell lines from mononuclear cells isolated from study participants’ peripheral blood (EBV transformations). Over the years, the lab expanded its services to include the establishment and/or growth of other types of cells, repository services, mycoplasma testing, and consulting/training in cell culture.The Cell Center serves over 400 Hopkins investigators and a small number of investigators from the National Institutes of Health. The Cell Center continues to be a leader in the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) lymphocyte transformation. EBV transformation success rates average 98% from frozen lymphocytes and 99% from fresh lymphocytes.
Our Mission
The mission of the Cell Center is to facilitate basic scientific research by providing expertise and service in all aspects of mammalian cell culture.
Our Values
Customer Satisfaction. Our customers and their needs come first.
Innovation.We continuously evaluate new products, technology, and services to enhance existing products and services.
Partnerships.We seek partnerships with customers and suppliers that create knowledge sharing relationships
Community.We provide job opportunities for residents of the East Baltimore and internships for local schools.
Education.We hold cell culture workshops and provide training and consultations. We believe in creating a learning culture that allows us to improve our techniques and skills.
Staff
Director: Margaret B. Penno, Ph.D. 410-614-0060
Dr. Penno, Director of the Cell Center, has joint appointments in the departments of Medicine and Oncology. Drawing from 20 years of cell culture experience, she supervises the activity of the Cell Center staff to ensure that cell lines and samples are handled in a timely and efficient way. She troubleshoots issues related to general cell culture, monoclonal antibody production, and EBV transformation and offers assistance to faculty in the design and implementation of projects involving the cultured cells. Dr. Penno is also the founder of The Biotechnical Institute of Maryland, Inc. where community residents can be trained in cell culture and other laboratory skills for new careers in biotech http://www.biotechmd.org