FIND Cell is a new tool that digitizes cell culture to enable reproducible biomedical science
New cloud based software platform reduces research costs and improves speed and reliability
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NEW YORK, May 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Lack of reproducibility is a critical problem in biomedical science, wasting both time and billions of dollars every year. The Correspondence
Tracking cell lineages improves research reproducibility , published today in Nature Biotechnology, lays the scientific foundation for a brand-new software platform called
FIND Cell; a unique tool that aims to improve reproducibility of cell-based science.
FIND Cell (available at https://findgen.bio/) integrates daily cell line tracking with genetic verification. It enables scientists to digitize, organise, verify, and find their cell culture related information – which is critical for biomedical research.
95% of cell lines used in clinical research of European descent
Scientists say pre-clinical cellular research needs to be diversified.
95% of all cell lines used in medical research come from people of European descent. Image credit: CellBank Australia
The basis for medical research is the pre-clinical research phase, which almost invariably focuses on cellular work in the laboratory. But 95% of all human cell lines used in clinical research worldwide are of European descent – adding an inherent bias to research.
The authors of a collaborative report published today in
Cell hope to change that, calling for diversification of the cells used in research.
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IMAGE: 95% of human cell lines used in countless medical research studies are of European descent. view more
Credit: Peter Morris for Children s Medical Research Institute
Sydney, Australia; New York City, USA (May 13, 2021) In a collaborative report published today in
Cell, scientists from Sydney and New York describe the critical worldwide need to improve the diversity of cells used in medical research. Currently, 95% of all human cell lines used in research are of European descent. The authors provide actionable steps that researchers and the biomedical community can take to promote more inclusivity in preclinical and basic science research.
The commentary, Ancestry Matters: Building inclusivity into preclinical study design, is co-authored by Sophie Zaaijer, PhD, who co-founded FIND Genomics (findgen.bio), a company that aims to improve reproducible cell-based science through its genetic cell tracking software FIND Cell , and is affiliated with Corne
Written by Jennifer Huizen on May 13, 2021 Fact checked by Anna Guildford, Ph.D.
A new report calls out the dire need for diversity in human cell lines. piranka/Getty Images
In a new report, researchers cite a dire need to increase diversity in preclinical research using human cell lines (HCL). Currently, some 95% of commonly used cell lines come from people of European descent.
The authors explain that African Americans and other groups are under-represented in preclinical research and are often discriminated against by the medical system.
To fix this systemic problem, the authors write that researchers must regain the trust of previously marginalized populations to encourage people of more diverse genetic backgrounds to contribute to the development of more diverse cell lines.