TICK CELL BIOBANK: ASIA OUTPOST

TICK CELL BIOBANK: ASIA OUTPOST

About us:

The Tick Cell Biobank Asia Outpost, was established in the Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the year 2018. There are four Tick Cell Biobank labs in the world and Tick Cell Biobank Asia Outpost is the only tick cell biobank serving the Asia Pacific region. The Tick Cell Biobank houses a collection of ixodid tick-derived cell lines of medical and veterinary importance. As the Tick Cell Biobank Asia Outpost, we are part of an international network of laboratories that offer tick cell lines for research and education, with the main biobank situated in the University of Liverpool. 

TCB provides training in tick cell line care and maintenance and tick cell cultivation. The goal of the outpost is to make available the resources and training necessary for the use of tick cell cultures to fellow researchers in the Asian region, in which many are from low- or middle-income developing countries, thereby improving the regional capacity for conducting research into tick-borne diseases. The tick cell lines have been introduced to isolate and propagate pathogens from environment specimens. This has created a valuable model for studying the biology of ticks and the mechanism of tick-borne disease transmission.

What we offers:

1. Tick Cell Lines - We provide and supply researchers with the available, maintained tick cell lines from our collection for research and education purposes, subject to Material Transfer Agreements (MTA) between the recipient institute and the TCB. Currently, we are housing 18 tick cell lines which were provided by the main TCB in the UK. A charge for the cell line representing approximately 20% of the actual cost to the Biobank of maintaining the cell lines, may be levied on supply of cell lines.                                                                                                                                
2. Training on tick cell culture - We provide training in tick cell line care and maintenance and tick cell cultivation. Topics covered during our training also include complete media preparation, cryopreservation of tick cells, seeding tick cells and preparation of cytocentrifuge smears for Giemsa staining. to visualize the cells.

View a list of the currently available tick cell lines:

To order cell lines or discuss your research, contact: 

Name: Dr. Norhidayu Sahimin

Email: ayusahimin@um.edu.my