iPSC Reprogramming & Line Derivation
Contract reprogramming of fibroblasts, PBMCs or renal epithelial cells into clonal iPSC lines with banked vials and identity testing — one of the few contract services with published prices.
| Category | Contract Cell Culture & Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Unit | One reprogramming campaign delivering a stated number of clonal lines with a stated number of frozen vials per line |
| Lead time | Clone picking at roughly two weeks after reprogramming; Curi Bio publishes 8-16 weeks for CRISPR iPSC editing and 4-6 weeks for iPSC expansion and banking as the adjacent workflow anchors |
| Pricing | Published list price |
| Provenance | Partner manufactured |
| Data current | 2026-09-01 |
Description
Turning a donor sample into a documented iPSC line, delivered as clonally expanded lines with frozen vials and a stated test package. This is unusual in the contract-culture category because prices exist: two institutional cores publish full rate cards and one commercial provider publishes per-vial pricing for research-grade banks. The spread between them is the most useful thing a buyer can know before commissioning anything, and it is not a demonstrated quality gradient — it is a difference in what is bundled. Gates Center delivers 2 to 4 clonally expanded lines with 2 to 4 frozen vials each, identity and mycoplasma tested, with loss of episomes confirmed by PCR on the PBMC route. Salk's figure is for one line with QC and carries external non-profit and external for-profit tiers. uBriGene's per-vial figure is a whole-programme price covering mRNA-LNP reprogramming from fibroblasts or PBMCs, clonal selection at roughly two weeks, seed banks cryopreserved at passage 2 to 5, and expansion into banks — and the GMP equivalent of the identical product is marked 'Please Inquire', which is the clearest illustration of where the quote-only wall sits in this market. Before comparing two quotes, normalise on three variables: number of clones delivered, vials per clone, and the exact QC panel. Those three account for most of the spread. We also raise the source-material licence question in the first conversation rather than the last, because a reprogramming provider is making copies of material whose donor consent may not extend to line derivation or commercial use.
Why this is hard to buy today
The published spread for what a buyer would describe as 'reprogram my cells into an iPSC line' runs from $4,941.62 to $18,559, and none of that gap is a demonstrated quality difference — it is clone count, vials per clone, QC panel and customer class — so buyers pick on the headline number and receive materially different deliverables.
Price evidence
Published institutional rate cards and one commercial catalogue, all captured 2026-09-01. Gates Center Stem Cell Biobank and Disease Modeling Core: fibroblast reprogramming, non-integrating, delivering 2-4 clonally expanded iPSC lines with 2-4 frozen vials per line, identity and mycoplasma tested, $4,941.62; PBMC reprogramming, same deliverable plus loss of episomes confirmed by PCR, $5,156.32; renal epithelial cell reprogramming $6,305.60; fibroblast isolation from skin biopsy, including expansion, freezing and mycoplasma testing, $1,175.62; PBMC isolation, 1-2 vials, $610.95. Salk Institute Stem Cell Core, rates effective 2025-07-01: iPSC reprogramming plus QC, 1 line, $14,847 external non-profit / $18,559 external for-profit; bulk reprogramming of 6 lines $59,284 external non-profit / $74,105 external for-profit. uBriGene research-grade iPSC bank catalogue pricing per 1 mL vial: single cell-derived line bank reprogrammed from fibroblasts (IPSC-BANK-SC-R) $1,860; clonal cell bank from PBMCs (IPSC-BANK-CL-PR) $1,550; clonal cell bank from fibroblasts (IPSC-BANK-CL-R) $1,550; the GMP equivalent (IPSC-BANK-SC-G) is quote only, marked 'Please Inquire'. Institutional core rates are restricted to eligible users and are a floor rather than a market price.
These are supplier list prices we located and recorded, not a quotation from Wetware World. Your price depends on quantity, specification and freight, and is only binding once issued in writing.
What you must specify
A quote cannot be produced without these. Anything you leave open, a supplier will assume — usually expensively.
| # | Parameter |
|---|---|
| 01 | Starting material: fibroblasts, PBMCs, renal epithelial cells, or a skin biopsy requiring isolation first |
| 02 | Reprogramming method (non-integrating episomal, mRNA-LNP, Sendai) and whether episome loss must be confirmed |
| 03 | Number of clonal lines to be delivered, and vials per line |
| 04 | Passage at cryopreservation and passage at delivery |
| 05 | Exact QC panel: STR identity, mycoplasma method, karyotype, pluripotency by protein and/or transcript |
| 06 | Grade: research use only, research-grade with GMP documentation, or full GMP |
| 07 | Who owns the resulting lines and banks, and whether the provider retains any distribution right |
| 08 | Donor consent scope: whether it covers line derivation, sequencing and commercial use |
| 09 | Storage: included for how long, at what rate afterwards, and what happens if payment stops |
| 10 | Eligibility for the institutional customer class being quoted |
Quality documentation
Typically available with this item. What actually ships is confirmed on the quotation, per supplier.
- STR identity profiling on the delivered lines
- Mycoplasma testing
- Loss of episomes confirmed by PCR where an episomal route is used (published on the Gates Center PBMC route)
- Certificate of analysis and vial inventory
- Karyotype and pluripotency assays available as separately priced additions
Candidate suppliers
Organisations we have identified as capable. Listing does not imply a partnership, an endorsement, or that they have agreed to quote.
| Organisation | Basis for inclusion |
|---|---|
| Gates Center Stem Cell Biobank and Disease Modeling Core | Published services price list captured 2026-09-01: fibroblast reprogramming $4,941.62, PBMC $5,156.32, renal epithelial $6,305.60, fibroblast isolation from biopsy $1,175.62, PBMC isolation $610.95, with the deliverable stated as 2-4 clonally expanded lines and 2-4 frozen vials per line. |
| Salk Institute Stem Cell Core | Published rates effective 2025-07-01, captured 2026-09-01: iPSC reprogramming plus QC $14,847 external non-profit / $18,559 external for-profit; bulk 6 lines $59,284 / $74,105. Two-tier external pricing published explicitly. |
| uBriGene | Product catalogue publishes research-grade per-vial pricing ($1,550-$1,860 per 1 mL vial) and marks the GMP equivalent of the identical SKU as quote only. Published process: mRNA-LNP reprogramming, clone picking at roughly two weeks, seed banks at passage 2-5. Captured 2026-09-01. |
| Axol Bioscience | Advertises iPSC banking, reprogramming, gene editing, cell manufacturing and QC under ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing, with a stated portfolio of 100+ iPSC lines including 60+ patient-derived. Services are quote only; catalogue vials carry public list prices. |
Sources
- https://gates.cuanschutz.edu/who-we-are/core-facilities/stem-cell-biobank-and-disease-modeling-core/services-price-list
- https://salk.edu/science/core-facilities/stem-cell-core/scheduling-and-rates
- https://www.ubrigene.com/product-page/ipsc-products/ipsc-banks/
- https://www.curibio.com/curi-engine-services
- https://newcellsbiotech.co.uk/
doc WW-CC-89677 · rev 2026-09-01 · research use only · prices indicative and not binding until quoted in writing