Raising the standards for credibility in science

Cultured cell lines and microorganisms are the backbone of biological research, allowing life scientists to generate and test hypotheses that will ultimately give rise to clinical insights and new medicines. Many biologists give little thought as to what is in their culture dish, taking for granted that the materials that they are working with are exactly what they are supposed to be. Unfortunately, many cell lines and microorganisms are either mislabeled, mischaracterized, or have been handled in a manner that has meaningfully altered their biological characteristics. The resulting uncertainty has dire consequences for the veracity and reproducibility of many biological findings.

Authenticated standards and biological models are essential for producing reproducible research. Discover how ATCC is addressing some of the major challenges affecting credibility in life science research by establishing more robust strategies and best practices for the characterization, identification, and validation of biological materials.