Cryopreservation and banking of mammalian cell lines.

This protocol describes the principles and methods used for the preparation of cryopreserved cell stocks. Following these procedures will ensure the availability of reproducible cultures for use within a single laboratory at different times and for different collaborating laboratories. Although the basic principle is simple, each cell line has characteristics that must to be borne in mind when establishing and testing such stocks. The key requirements are reliable methods for culture, cryopreservation, characterization and quality control.