Quarter 1 Newsletter 2022

Successful ISO 9001:2015 external audit for CBS

We are pleased to announce that by successfully completing the annual surveillance audit of our facility by BSI in March 2022, we have maintained our certification to ISO 9001. Due to the pandemic, this was our first face-to-face audit since February 2020.

This means that our quality management system continues to demonstrate its ability to provide services that consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements. We remain the only UK Multi-Core Facility to have this accreditation, supporting both our Cardiff University users and external customers.

Maybe you are a Cardiff University colleague looking for advice on working to this standard? Or maybe you are a business interested in contract work we can do for you to this standard? Feel free to contact us to find out more.

Highlighting TeloNostiX... a Cardiff University spin out!

Located within Central Biotechnology Services since 2017, TeloNostiX is an in vitro diagnostics company, spun out of Cardiff University, that provides high resolution telomere length analysis for commercial and academic research, as well as for clinical applications. They provide numerous services including cancer patient prognosis and prediction of response to anticancer therapy, patient selection for cellular therapies and assisting the manufacture of cellular therapies. More recently, their technologies are being use for the diagnosis of a collection of rare and debilitating genetic conditions called telomeropathies.

TeloNostiX utilises two platform technologies developed in Cardiff University for high-resolution telomere length analysis based on the underlying Single Telomere Length Analysis (STELA) assay:

1. Single molecule STELA (SM-STELA) – provides high-resolution telomere analysis, requiring just 3,000 cells. SM-STELA can be used in conjunction with high-speed cell sorting for bespoke research projects. This has been used to examine telomere dynamics and replicative potentials of various cell types including rare T-cell subsets, NK cells, tumour infiltrating lymphocytes and CAR-T cell products.
2. High Throughput STELA (HT-STELA) - requiring 50,000 cells, with a low measurement error (intra-assay CV < 2%, inter-assay CV < 3%), HT-STELA is ideal for the analysis of large cohorts and has been used to show that telomere length of cancer cells is both prognostic and predictive of response to treatment in a range of tumour types. Moreover, HT-STELA is set up as a clinical laboratory service with a full quality management system and this is being used by NHS clinicians for telomere-based diagnostics.

The ability to analyse small numbers of cells with high-resolution, but also to rapidly manage very large numbers of samples makes TeloNostiX ideally placed to assist you with your research.

At its core, TeloNostiX is a science-focused, data-driven company. They pride themselves on their excellent customer service, underpinned by a scientific and professional commitment to their clients, which ensures that they deliver reliable and accurate results.

Contact TeloNostiX if you would like more information on how they could assist you with telomere length analysis for your research project. Visit the TeloNostiX website and follow them on Twitter and LinkedIn.

New Technologies in Central Biotechnology Services

We are excited to have two new technologies in CBS. Read on below, contact us and come to talk to us to learn more!

High dimensional flow cytometry

Click here to learn all about our BD FACSymphony™ A3 Cell Analyzer which is now all set up and ready to be used.  This powerful instrument offers the ability to measure 30 parameters across five lasers, enabling the use of new dyes with improved brightness and spillover characteristics.

How about watching this videoentitled 'Learnings and Advancements in High-Parameter Flow Cytometry' to learn more?

Multiplex analysis of up to 800 RNA or DNA targets

Click here to learn all about our Nanostring nCounter™ MAX Analysis System and the potential it has to enable your research.

This technology allows for the digital examination of multiple pathways from a single tube in an extraction-free workflow.

Accelerate your research by spending less time on sample prep and perform your own data analysis using the included nSolver™ Analysis Software.

Training update

Thank you to all of you who have attended our recent training sessions on Flow Cytometry theory, FlowJo software and RNAseq Informatics.

We will continue to schedule courses, some free and some on a cost recovery basis, some online and some face-to-face, to support researchers as much as we can. Please contact us to discuss your training needs, offer suggestions and continue to check our website and follow us on Twitter for details of upcoming events.

Business Innovation Support

Life Sciences Hub Wales is now offering a range of bespoke support packages for industry colleagues. If you are interested in learning more, then please take a look at their new Business Innovation Support page.