Questions Regarding the MTA and Other Forms
- Do I need to provide an MTA if I am only requesting one or two cell lines?
Yes, you do still need to provide an MTA regardless of how many (or how few) lines you are requesting.
- What is the "COG Specimen Transfer Agreement" and where can I find it?
This is the MTA, also referred to as the "Cell Culture or Xenograft Transfer Agreement", which you can download on every cell request page as well as the "Download MTA" page on our website.
- Do you accept electronic signatures on the MTA?
Yes, we accept electronic signatures.
- My institution requires some extra documentation before they will sign the MTA. Who can I contact about this?
- Do you accept changes to the MTA?
As of October 2014, a revised MTA was finalized to encompass most concerns that were raised in the past. Due to the large volume of requests coming in at this time we are only considering changes to address issues with compliance with law. If you still have questions or concerns regarding the MTA, please contact us for clarification.
- Can we send you a copy of the signed PDF of the MTA or do you need the original?
We will accept an uploaded or emailed copy of the signed MTA PDF, or a faxed copy thereof. You do not need to mail us the original.
- Does an "Institution Authorized Representative" still need to sign the MTA if the Principal Investigator/Laboratory Director is already also signing the document?
Yes, both signatures are required before the approval process can begin.
- What is the purpose of Attachment A in the MTA and is it required?
Attachment A describes which cell lines and PDXs are to be requested as well as provides the intended uses of the materials. Please list the cell lines/PDXs that you are requesting under "description of material" and how your laboratory will utilize these under "permitted uses of material." If you have any further questions please email us for clarification.
Online Cell Request Form Questions
- How do I request a cell line?
A) Select the cell lines that you are interested in by clicking each individual check box within each specific disease type or select multiple diseases at one time on the "ALL DISEASES" link.
B) Fill out the institutional or commercial/industry information at the bottom of any of the disease pages.
C) Attached a fully signed MTA (including Attachment A - Please see the answer to "What is the purpose of Attachment A in the MTA and is it required?" for more help on this.) If your PDFs are too big, you can send them separately to us via email at sendmta1@cccells.org or fax it to us at 806-743-2691. In such cases please leave a note in the comments section of your online form submission to let us know about your incoming fax or email.
D) Attach any additional documents required for your request (i.e. a justification for any request over 5 cell lines total)
E) Click Submit. If your request goes through successfully, you should see a "Thank You" confirmation page summarizing the information you submitted. You will not receive any email confirmation of your request, so please save this confirmation receipt page to your computer or print it out for your records.
- How will I know that my request was submitted correctly?
You should see a "Thank You" receipt page that provides you with a printable summary of your request, containing all the information you submitted. Approval of the request typically begins the following business day and can take up to 1 month to complete. Please email us if any questions arise in the meantime.
- I received an error message after I clicked "Submit". What should I do?
Please contact us with the text of the error message you received and we will be happy to help troubleshoot the issue.
If you saw the "Thank You" confirmation page, then your request probably did go through despite the error.
If you did not see the "Thank You" page, your request probably did not go through, and you should try to make your request again.
If you are not sure whether your request got through, please contact us and we will confirm the status of your request for you.
- Why didn't I receive an email confirmation of my request?
You will not receive any email confirmation of your request. We apologize for the inconvenience, but our system is not configured to send email confirmations for anti-spam reasons. You will be redirected to a "Thank You" web page upon successful submission of your cell request. The page will contain a summary of all the information you have submitted via the request form. Please save this web page to your computer or print it out for your records, as it is the only confirmation you will receive.
- What kind of information should I provide in my justification letter?
Please send us a brief description of your research. Include anything pertaining to an approval of your request (i.e. funding, project outline(s), specifically how each cell line will be utilized into your project etc.) Your justification should be less than one page in length.
Shipping or Requesting Questions
- What is the cost of obtaining your cell lines and/or shipping them?
We do not charge for the cell lines or PDXS. The only cost to you and your laboratory will be to cover any and all shipping fees (including customs, inspection, duty fees etc.).
- What shipping couriers can I use?
You can use FedEx, Airborne, or World Courier. However, please do not specify DHL as there is no DHL service in our area and we are not able to use DHL for shipments. We are also unable to use UPS at this time.
- My submission was successful but I have not received a response, nor have I received the cell lines I requested.
If you are in the US, please allow at least 30 days from the date of your successful request submission to schedule a ship date.
If you are outside of the US, please allow at least 6 weeks from the date of your successful request submission to begin scheduling a shipping date.
If it has been longer than that, please feel free to contact us and we will look into the status of your request and get back to you as soon as possible.
- Do you ship cell lines internationally or just in the US?
We are able to ship the cell lines both within the US as well as internationally. We are able to use couriers such as FedEx, World Courier, or Airborne. However, we regret that we are not able to ship via DHL as there is no DHL service in our area. We are also unable to ship via UPS at this time. If you wish to use a specific courier that is not mentioned here and are not sure if it will be accepted, please email us and we will work with you to find the best shipping option for your location.
- How often can I request cell lines from you?
There is no minimum wait time between requests. You may request more cell lines as soon as you need them. Please note that cell requests are cumulative - if you request 3 cell lines the first time, and another 3 the second time, you will be subject to the "5-15 cell lines" requirements when you make your second request. If you request more than 15 cell lines over time/over the course of multiple requests, you will be subject to the "more than 15 cell lines" requirements when you send in your request for the 16th (and onwards) cell lines. Up to 20 cell lines maximum per laboratory at this time.
- Are your cell lines available to commercial entities?
As of October 20th 2014, we are happy to announce that all of our cell lines listed on our website are available to commercial/industry entities. Please follow all the traditional guidelines for requesting and obtaining cell lines.
Cell Line Questions
- I would like more specific information about some of your cell lines, where can I find this?
Most of the information that we are able to provide on each of the cell lines are listed on each of the cell line data sheets (found by clicking each cell line name in green). Additionally, most of these cell lines are listed in many of the publications mentioned on our website, please visit the "Journal Citations" link to view these. If you have any additional questions about any of our lines or if the data sheet is not yet available please feel free to email us with your questions.
- I am planning on publishing the research that I have performed using some of your cell lines. How should I reference them?
- We are having problems growing/culturing the cell lines you sent us. What can we do?
First, refer to the culturing conditions listed on each of the cell line data sheets or visit our Protocol link to download our general culturing protocol. Please keep in mind that it is very important to immediately wash out the DMSO upon initially thawing each vial. Additionally, verify that the correct media and oxygen condition is being used to culture each cell line.
If the problem still persists, please email us with the details of what is going on and we will try to troubleshoot as best as possible.
- I am looking for a particular cell line which I believe is in your repository but I cannot find it on your website. Can you help?
Please email us with the names of the cell lines you are looking for, and we will let you know if we can be of assistance.
- Are your cells tested for biological contaminants? If so, are the test results documented?
All of our cell lines are Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) negative and Mycoplasma Bacterium free.
Our PDXs are found to be negative for all of the following: EBV, HAdV, Hantaan, HCMV, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HHV 6, HHV 8, HIV1, HIV2, HSV 1, HSV 2, HTLV 1, HTLV 2, LCMV, Mycoplasma sp., Seoul, Sin Nombre, VZV. Documentation is available upon request.
- Our cell lines were contaminated/we have some other issues with the cell lines we received. Can you send us some more?
Please submit another request for the replacement cell lines you would like to get and notate in the comments section what occurred during culturing. No additional MTA is required.
STR and Mycoplasma Testing and Submissions
- How do I submit samples for testing?
STEP 1 Fill out submission form (below) to initiate a quote.
STEP 2 After receiving quote, generate a Purchase Order (PO)
STEP 3 Send copy of PO to us through our Contact Us page
STEP 4 Prepare samples for sending
STEP 5 Sample results will be sent via Email to the customer
STEP 6 Invoicing will be released and payment will be due within 30 days of receipt
- How should samples be prepared?
STR Analysis Submission Guidelines:
• Cell lines: 1 million cells (minimum), dry pellet, single source, in 1.5 mL tube. Ship on dry ice priority overnight.
• Solid tissue: 20-50mg, or larger, piece in 1.5 mL tube. Ship on dry ice priority overnight.
• Please call (806) 743-2707 for instructions.
Mycoplasma Analysis Submission Guidelines:
• Cell Lines (only): 1mL of supernatant (no cells) in a 1.5mL tube of which the sample has been incubating in for at least 7 days or more. Ship priority overnight with ice packs.
- What samples are accepted?
Any sample provided from the following sources qualifies: cccells.org, txccr.org and/or directly from the laboratory of Dr. C Patrick Reynolds.
- What is the cost per sample?
STR: $30.00 per sample
Mycoplasma Screening: $15.00 per sample
- What payment types are accepted?
Purchase orders (PO) will be set up before testing is done and upon invoicing checks may be sent to fulfill the PO.
- How often can samples be submitted?
As often as needed to each laboratory, please contact us for clarification.
- Are international submissions accepted?
Yes, as long as the cells were received according to item 17 above.
