Build a specification a laboratory can quote

Specify

• Neuronal subtype (glutamatergic / GABAergic / mixed cortical)
• Cell count per vial and number of vials
• Genotype (normal, isogenic control, or named disease mutation)
• Reporter requirement (none / GFP / GCaMP / RCaMP)
• Donor background and sex, if constrained
• Media and supplements included or customer-supplied
• Intended format (plate, coverslip, MEA, 3D)
• Required delivery date

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Identity / marker expression per supplier datasheet
• Sterility and mycoplasma status per supplier release testing

Specify

• Genotype (normal / named mutation / isogenic control pair)
• Cell count per vial and number of vials
• Whether a matched isogenic control is required
• Media and supplement package
• Co-culture intent (e.g. with myotubes for NMJ)
• Required delivery date and lot reservation window

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Motor neuron marker expression per supplier datasheet
• Genotype confirmation for mutant lines per supplier documentation

Specify

• Genotype / disease background
• Guaranteed minimum viable cell count
• Passage number on receipt and expected expansion capacity
• Target differentiated cell type, if we are also quoting differentiation
• Downstream sequencing intent (consent restrictions apply to some donor lineages)
• Media and coating package

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• NSC marker panel per supplier datasheet
• Donor consent and use-restriction documentation

Specify

• Species (human iPSC-derived / rat / mouse)
• Genotype or disease background
• Cell count and vial quantity
• Co-culture ratio target against a companion neuron order
• Media and coating package

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• GFAP / S100B marker expression per supplier datasheet

Specify

• Subtype (ventricular-like / atrial-like)
• Donor age and sex, if constrained
• Genotype (normal / named cardiomyopathy or channelopathy mutation / isogenic control)
• Cell count and vial quantity
• Kit vs cells-only
• Downstream format (monolayer, spheroid, cast 3D tissue, MEA)
• Sequencing intent (lineage restrictions apply to some donors)

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Cardiac troponin / purity percentage per supplier datasheet
• Spontaneous beating specification per supplier protocol

Specify

• Source (iPSC-derived / primary human / immortalised / rodent)
• Total viable cells required and delivery schedule
• Donor constraints (age, sex, disease state, population)
• Passage number and expansion headroom required
• Myogenic purity target (e.g. desmin-positive percentage)
• Grade (research use only vs phase-appropriate GMP)
• Media package and differentiation protocol

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Myogenic content by desmin (available as a named assay at Cook MyoSite)
• Sterility and mycoplasma per supplier release testing

Specify

• Required genetic background or named mutation
• Isogenic control requirement
• Reprogramming method and footprint constraints, if any
• Karyotype and pluripotency documentation required
• Intended use (research / commercial / therapeutic) for MTA scoping
• Feeder-free vs feeder-dependent culture requirement

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Pluripotency marker documentation
• Karyotype report per supplier
• Sterility and mycoplasma per supplier release testing
• Donor consent and MTA documentation

Specify

• Genetic background (wild type, APOE or TREM2 variant, knockout, CRISPR-ready, GFP reporter)
• Cell count required, and whether the supplier's count is total at freeze or viable post-thaw
• Pack size, since two of the suppliers here sell multi-vial packs rather than single vials
• Medium the supplier characterised the cells in, and whether their marker data holds in anything else
• Co-culture ratio and companion neuron or astrocyte order
• Currency the catalogue figure will be billed in, where one number covers three currencies
• Licence terms if anything downstream will be sold rather than published

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Microglial marker expression per supplier datasheet
• Genotype confirmation for disease and knockout lines per supplier documentation

Specify

• Stage required (OPC versus oligodendrocyte-like)
• Maturation and myelination endpoint, and the culture duration it implies
• Cell count required, and pack size against that requirement
• CRISPR-ready or reporter background
• Co-culture partners (neurons, astrocytes) and their delivery week
• Medium and coating package
• Currency the catalogue figure will be billed in

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Viable cell count stated at release rather than a count at freeze
• Lineage marker expression per supplier datasheet

Specify

• Vessel and donor origin (umbilical vein, dermal microvascular, brain microvascular)
• Pooled versus single-donor lot
• Passage number at ship and guaranteed remaining population doublings at that passage
• Which medium and protocol the doubling guarantee is conditional on
• Standard versus pre-screened lot, and the assay the lot was screened against
• Disease-state donor requirement (Type I or Type II diabetic where offered)
• Full pathogen panel by name rather than a 'virus tested' claim
• Whether the cell count is at freeze or viable post-thaw

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Published pathogen panel where the supplier itemises one
• Population doubling guarantee under the supplier's stated media and protocol

Specify

• Route (primary, iPSC-derived, or immortalised HepaRG-class line)
• Single-donor versus pooled-donor primary material, and the number of donors in the pool
• Total viable cells required, worked against the plate or construct that will consume them
• Plateable versus suspension-qualified primary lots
• Metabolic specification required (CYP activity, albumin secretion) and how it is measured at release
• Non-parenchymal companion cells required (Kupffer, stellate, endothelial) and their donor provenance
• Species, where cross-species metabolism is the question
• Licence terms if anything downstream will be sold rather than published

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Functional marker specification per supplier datasheet
• Sterility and mycoplasma per supplier release testing

Specify

• Cell type (keratinocyte, dermal fibroblast, feeder)
• Age grade (adult, neonatal, fetal) stated explicitly on the purchase order
• Anatomical site and donor demographics
• Disease state (for example Type 2 diabetic donors) where the phenotype is the requirement
• Passage at ship and guaranteed remaining population doublings
• Matched media package, since every performance guarantee is conditional on it
• Whether matched fibroblasts and keratinocytes from the same donor are required

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Published pathogen panel where the supplier itemises one
• Passage number at ship where the supplier publishes it

Specify

• Named variant, zygosity, and whether the pair was made by correction or by introduction
• Number of independent isogenic pairs required, since one pair controls for background but not for clonal idiosyncrasy
• Allelic series requirement, including whether a knockout arm is needed to separate gain from loss of function
• Sequencing evidence required for the edited locus in both members of the pair
• Off-target analysis performed and its scope (in silico, exome, or whole genome)
• Reprogramming method, because the patent landscape differs by route
• Passage frozen and karyotype documentation
• Intended use (research, commercial, patent-directed) for correct fee tier and MTA scoping
• Named limited use label licences applicable to the line

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis per bank
• Karyotype and pluripotency characterisation where the bank publishes it
• Genotype confirmation at the edited locus
• Donor consent and use-restriction documentation

Specify

• Species and strain
• Whether a regional identity is required, which moves the SKU from catalogue to quote
• What the rehearsal is qualifying (plate, coating, seeding density, operator, instrument)
• Whether the eventual human experiment shares the same medium and coating
• Vial count required for the rehearsal series
• Marker characterisation required, which the region-specific listings state is negotiable

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis
• Post-thaw viability specification
• Identity / marker expression per supplier datasheet
• Authentication documentation for repository-held lines

Specify

• Format (9 mm insert / 22 mm insert / 96-well HTS)
• Number of tissues and number of lots
• Media variant (standard, phenol-red-free, antibiotic-free, anti-fungal-free, hydrocortisone-free)
• Pigmented vs non-pigmented (melanocyte-containing) tissue
• Full-thickness (with dermal compartment) vs epidermis only
• Required delivery date, aligned to the weekly ship cadence
• Destination country and customs handling

Quality documentation

• Lot-level release testing by the manufacturer
• Sterility check on production media and on the shipping agarose gel
• Pathogen screening: cells negative for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C by PCR
• Histology specification (8-12 viable cell layers plus stratum corneum)
• Lot number traceability across kits within a lot

Specify

• Airway region (nasal / tracheobronchial / alveolar)
• Number of tissues and lot structure
• Insert format and plate compatibility
• Donor background (healthy vs diseased, e.g. asthmatic or COPD) where offered
• Culture age at shipment / degree of ciliation required
• Media variant
• Whether the buyer wants tissue only or the assay run as a service

Quality documentation

• Lot-level release testing by the manufacturer
• Barrier integrity (TEER) specification per supplier datasheet
• Sterility checks on production media
• Pathogen screening per supplier protocol
• Histology / ciliation specification

Specify

• Intestinal region (duodenum / jejunum / ileum / colon)
• Format (planar barrier / crypt / immune co-culture)
• Number of tissues or wells
• Donor background and number of distinct donors required
• Barrier integrity (TEER) acceptance threshold
• Co-culture requirements (immune cells, microbiome, mucus layer)
• Whether readout is run in-house or as a service

Quality documentation

• Lot-level release testing by the manufacturer
• Barrier integrity (TEER) specification
• Sterility checks
• Marker or histology confirmation per supplier datasheet

Specify

• Species (human, pooled human, or named animal species)
• Single-donor vs pooled-donor hepatocytes
• Co-culture composition (hepatocytes only vs with Kupffer/stellate/stromal cells)
• Number of microtissues and plate format
• Required functional lifetime in culture
• Assay endpoints, if buying the study rather than the tissue
• Delivery date aligned to the published production schedule

Quality documentation

• Lot release testing by the manufacturer
• Microtissue size and uniformity specification
• Viability and functional marker specification (e.g. albumin, CYP activity) per supplier datasheet
• Sterility checks

Specify

• Tissue model type (barrier / vascular / kidney / gut / liver)
• Plate density (40 vs 64 tissue models)
• Number of plates and delivery cadence
• Cell source: supplier's cells vs customer-supplied cells
• Perfusion regime and required culture duration on arrival
• Readout compatibility (imaging, TEER, effluent sampling)
• Whether instrument hardware is also required

Quality documentation

• Supplier tissue formation and perfusion release check
• Barrier integrity specification where applicable
• Sterility checks
• Plate-level uniformity specification per supplier datasheet

Specify

• Which of the four TG 492 test methods, which fixes the cut-off, the protocol and the viability dye
• Liquids or solids protocol, since exposure time and, for two models, the cut-off both change
• Batch ET50 or IC50 measured value and its position within the published acceptance range
• Written confirmation that production release criteria were met, supplied for the test report
• Tissue count arithmetic: chemicals x 2 replicates + controls per run + contingency for borderline repeats
• Kit size and format, and whether partial kits are available
• Delivery date against the production calendar and shelf life on arrival
• Whether the chemical is coloured or MTT-interfering, which changes the readout route
• For research rather than regulatory use: actual cell source and validated culture duration
• Whether the buyer wants tissue or the assay run as a contract study

Quality documentation

• Lot release testing by the manufacturer against the TG 492 acceptance range
• Measured ET50 or IC50 for the delivered batch
• Histology confirming at least three layers of viable epithelial cells and a non-keratinised surface
• Barrier and containment function per the guideline requirement

Specify

• Which epithelium, named anatomically: buccal, gingival, hard palate, oesophageal, bladder, vaginal, ectocervical
• Keratinised or non-keratinised, stated explicitly and confirmed by histology
• Number of viable cell layers and the differentiation markers demonstrated
• Batch release criterion in units, with the acceptance range and the measurement method
• Validated culture duration in days, with feeding schedule and medium
• Medium variant: antibiotic-free, antifungal-free, phenol-red-free, ordered upstream of the three-day removal window
• Format and insert diameter confirmed to exist for this specific model rather than the flagship
• Kit size and minimum order quantity worked against the replicate count
• Production frequency and order-by date for this model specifically
• For infection work: pathogen, endpoint, challenge duration and containment level

Quality documentation

• Lot release testing by the manufacturer
• Histology per lot or per product where the supplier provides it
• Barrier function measurement where the supplier publishes a criterion
• Sterility checks

Specify

• Model variant (standard, INSERT, LARGE, SMALL, AGED, LONG-LIFE) and tissue diameter
• Required culture duration after arrival, which is the main reason to choose LONG-LIFE
• Number of tissues, worked against the published volume discount thresholds
• Media variant (standard, phenol-red-free, hydrocortisone-free, antibiotic-free) and volume, at 250 mL per 6 models
• Whether the endpoint requires a TG 439 or TG 431 validated method, which a full-thickness model is not
• Franz cell or permeation hardware compatibility for delivery work
• Delivery date and transit time against the production calendar

Quality documentation

• Lot release testing by the manufacturer
• Histology per supplier specification
• Viability at release
• Sterility checks

Specify

• Configuration (perfusable vessel, angiogenic sprouting, blood-brain barrier tubule)
• Endothelial cell source (primary HUVEC, hTERT-immortalised, primary brain microvascular)
• Number of tissue models or chips required per condition
• Whether the readout is permeability, transporter function, sprouting morphometry or toxicity
• Instrument and imaging compatibility for the plate format
• Whether the buyer wants the plate pre-seeded or empty, and who absorbs the seeding risk
• Delivery date against the production calendar

Quality documentation

• Lot release testing by the manufacturer
• Tubule formation and perfusability specification per supplier datasheet
• Viability at release
• Sterility checks

Specify

• Route (adult stem cell-derived versus iPSC-derived), which decides the licensing landscape
• Tissue and, for cancer models, the indication
• Whether a physical model or a screening result is the deliverable
• Intended use (academic basic research, commercial in-house, instrument validation), which decides whether a licence is required
• Whether an expansion service is needed to reach usable numbers from a founder line
• Matrix requirement, and whether a defined alternative to Matrigel is acceptable
• Media supply, given that the media composition is itself covered by the technology claim
• Fee tier eligibility at the public banks

Quality documentation

• Supplier or bank certificate of analysis
• Identity and provenance documentation for patient-derived lines
• Sterility and mycoplasma per supplier release testing
• Donor consent and use-restriction documentation

Specify

• Anatomical region (nasal / tracheal / bronchial / bronchiolar), which is the single most consequential field
• Single donor or pooled, and the donor count if pooled
• Donor pathology (healthy non-smoker, healthy smoker, COPD, asthmatic, cystic fibrosis with named mutation, allergic rhinitis)
• Whether fibroblast or macrophage co-culture is required
• Number of inserts and insert diameter
• Required culture longevity after delivery
• Medium variant and whether antibiotics are included
• TEER and cilia beating frequency acceptance values to be stated on the certificate of analysis
• Destination and whether the supplier has previously validated delivery to it

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis per batch with donor information and QC results
• Barrier integrity by transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER)
• Cilia beating frequency, which Epithelix states is part of MucilAir and SmallAir release QC
• Histological confirmation of cell-type composition per supplier datasheet
• Sterility and pathogen screening per supplier protocol

Specify

• Route: finished static tissue versus perfused microphysiological system on an instrument you must already own
• Required cell populations (AT1, AT2, endothelial, macrophage co-culture)
• Whether apical surfactant secretion must be demonstrated
• Usable culture window required after delivery, checked against the two-week AlveolAir stability statement
• Dosing mode (liquid, aerosol, repeat dose) and the sampling volume that mode needs
• Number of tissues or chips and the replicate structure
• TEER acceptance value at release
• Donor health status, noting only healthy donors are stated for the static alveolar model
• Whether the buyer wants the tissue, the plate, or the study run as a service

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis per batch with donor information and QC results (static route)
• Barrier function by TEER, stated as part of release QC
• AT1/AT2 population ratio confirmation over the stated stability period
• Surfactant protein secretion evidence per supplier characterisation data
• Sterility and pathogen screening per supplier protocol

Specify

• Geometry: perfusable tubule in a microfluidic lane versus flat epithelium on a permeable insert
• Cell source and age grade (adult, neonatal, fetal), which changes transporter expression
• Primary cells versus an immortalised or iPSC-derived source
• Whether an endothelial or interstitial compartment is required alongside the tubular epithelium
• Named transporters that must be functionally demonstrated, not merely expressed
• Barrier acceptance criterion (TEER or permeability coefficient) and the method used to measure it
• Flow regime and shear stress, if a perfused configuration is specified
• Number of tubules or chips and the replicate structure
• Whether the buyer already owns a platform the model must run on

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis for each cell input
• Barrier integrity measurement at release (to be negotiated into the contract, not assumed)
• Transporter expression or functional transport evidence, specified explicitly
• Morphology and polarisation by imaging
• Sterility and mycoplasma per supplier release testing

Specify

• Endpoint class, which decides the geometry: unanchored microtissue for beat rate, calcium and viability, or an anchored construct for absolute force
• Co-culture composition (cardiomyocytes alone versus with fibroblasts and endothelial cells)
• Cell source and line, and whether an isogenic disease variant is required
• Number of microtissues, plate format and replicate structure
• Microtissue diameter and uniformity specification
• Required functional lifetime in culture after arrival
• Medium configuration and whether it is included
• Whether the buyer wants finished tissue, a self-forming kit, or the study run as a service
• Delivery date aligned to the supplier's production schedule

Quality documentation

• Lot release testing by the manufacturer
• Microtissue size and uniformity specification
• Viability and beating specification per supplier datasheet
• Availability-on-arrival guarantee where the supplier offers one
• Sterility checks

Specify

• Cell line or patient-derived source, and the licensing position attached to it
• Target spheroid diameter, which decides the microwell geometry
• Whether a hypoxic or quiescent core is required, and how it will be demonstrated
• Monoculture versus co-culture with stromal, immune or endothelial cells
• Matrix requirement, and whether a defined alternative to Matrigel is acceptable
• Number of spheroids, plate format and replicate structure
• Size uniformity acceptance criterion
• Assay endpoint and imaging modality the format must survive
• Intended use, academic or commercial, which decides the licence question

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis for the cell line
• STR identity authentication of the line, which is not optional for cancer lines
• Spheroid size and uniformity specification where a finished plate is contracted
• Viability at release
• Mycoplasma and sterility per supplier release testing

Specify

• Route: prepared perfused tubules versus plate-plus-supplement you seed yourself
• Cell source (primary human brain microvascular endothelial, iPSC-derived, or immortalised)
• Whether astrocyte and pericyte compartments are required for a triple co-culture
• Named efflux and influx transporters that must be functionally demonstrated, not merely expressed
• Barrier acceptance criterion: TEER value or permeability coefficient for a stated tracer
• Number of tubules or chips and the replicate structure
• Perfusion regime, and whether pumpless rocker-driven flow is acceptable
• Imaging requirement and the optical properties the plate must have
• Whether a disease or donor-specific background is required

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis for cells or for the prepared plate
• Barrier integrity at release, by TEER or tracer permeability
• Transporter expression evidence per supplier characterisation data
• Tubule formation and lumen patency confirmation for the perfused route
• Sterility and mycoplasma per supplier release testing

Specify

• Tissue length, cross-sectional area and overall geometry
• Anchor / termination type at each end (post, loop, clip, suture tab)
• Force requirement: twitch and/or tetanic, in micronewtons, with the measurement protocol
• Stimulation requirement (frequency range, chronic pacing during maturation, stimulability on delivery)
• Cell source (iPSC-derived, primary human, immortalised, rodent) and donor constraints
• ECM composition and stiffness
• Number of units, and whether a first-article unit precedes the run
• Delivery state (live in device, live in transport medium, fixed, or cryopreserved)
• Acceptance criteria and what happens to units that fail them
• Required functional lifetime after delivery

Quality documentation

• Contractile force measurement against the stated acceptance criterion (to be negotiated into the contract, not assumed)
• Viability at release
• Myotube alignment and sarcomeric organisation by imaging or histology
• Sterility
• Photographic and dimensional record per unit

Specify

• Motor neuron source and genotype (normal / ALS mutant / isogenic control)
• Muscle cell source (iPSC-derived myoblasts, primary human, or rodent)
• 2D or 3D muscle compartment
• Readout required (contraction imaging, calcium imaging, MEA on the neural side, force)
• Number of experimental replicates and conditions
• Culture duration required before handover
• Whether the buyer wants the device only, the device plus cells, or the completed culture

Quality documentation

• Device fabrication QC by the manufacturer
• Cell certificates of analysis for both cell inputs
• Evidence of junction formation (to be negotiated as a deliverable, not assumed)
• Sterility

Specify

• Number of tissues, noting the published unit price falls by roughly half between 1 and 12
• Cell line and genetic background, and whether an isogenic disease variant is required
• Whether a force acceptance criterion is required, which is not part of the catalogue product and must be contracted separately
• Stretcher or post stiffness if the tissue is to be received in a casting plate
• Required functional lifetime after the stated 24-hour recovery period
• Delivery date, given order-related manufacturing at 6-8 weeks
• Whether matched cardiomyocytes or casting plates are wanted on the same order
• Destination and customs position for living tissue shipped at ambient temperature
• Certificate of analysis content to be confirmed before order

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis per released batch
• Supplier-stated structural maturity: aligned sarcomeres and synchronised rhythmic contraction
• Viability at release
• Sterility
• Contractile force measurement is NOT included and must be contracted separately if required

Specify

• Post or stretcher stiffness grade, which is the force calibration constant and cannot be changed after purchase
• Whether a stiffness screen is needed first, which is what the gradient plate format exists for
• Force readout method: optical tracing of a fluorescent stretcher, magnetic sensing on an instrument, or your own imaging
• Cell source, line and number of cells per tissue
• ECM composition and hydrogel stiffness
• Tissue geometry and cross-sectional area, without which no specific force can be derived
• Electrical pacing requirement during maturation and at readout
• Whether casting is done in-house or contracted, and who owns failed casts
• Plate format compatibility with existing imaging or plate-reader hardware

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis for the cells
• Plate-level manufacturing specification including stated stretcher stiffness grade
• Tissue formation success rate, to be contracted explicitly where casting is outsourced
• Viability at release
• Force measurement is NOT included in any catalogue product in this category and must be contracted separately

Specify

• Opsin choice and variant, and the excitation wavelength that follows from it
• Delivery method for the construct (lentiviral, AAV, transfection) and whether a stable line is required
• Parental cell source and whether it must remain fusion-competent after modification, which must be verified explicitly
• Light delivery: source, wavelength, irradiance at the tissue, pulse width, frequency and duty cycle
• Whether spatial patterning is required, and at what addressable resolution
• Force requirement in micronewtons under optical stimulus, with the measurement protocol stated
• Tissue geometry, cross-sectional area and anchor type
• Both licensing chains: the opsin MTA and the parental cell line terms, and whether each permits the intended commercial use
• Institutional biosafety approval status for the genetic modification

Quality documentation

• Opsin expression validation in the modified line
• Confirmation that the modified cells retain myogenic fusion capacity
• Optically evoked contraction demonstrated, with the stimulation parameters recorded
• Force measurement under optical stimulus against a stated criterion, to be negotiated into the contract
• Viability, sterility and a photographic record per unit
• Documentation of both material transfer agreements

Specify

• MEA hardware platform and plate format the culture must be compatible with
• Neuronal subtype and genotype
• Astrocyte co-culture ratio
• Plating density per electrode area
• Network activity acceptance criterion (e.g. mean firing rate, burst frequency, synchrony index)
• Culture age at delivery
• Delivery mode: live shipped culture vs plated-and-frozen vs customer plates in-house
• Required post-delivery viable culture lifetime

Quality documentation

• Cell certificates of analysis for neurons and astrocytes
• Pre-shipment electrophysiological activity record (must be contracted explicitly)
• Viability at release
• Sterility and mycoplasma

Specify

• MEA hardware platform and plate format the culture must be compatible with
• Neuronal induction route and differentiation age at plating, which drives most of the cost
• Neuronal subtype and genotype, including any named disease mutation or isogenic control
• Whether glia are included, and at what ratio
• Plating density per electrode area
• Network activity acceptance criterion, such as mean firing rate, burst frequency or synchrony index
• Culture age at delivery and required post-delivery viable lifetime
• Number of plates, since plating and media-changing labour are banded by plate count
• Delivery mode: live shipped culture, plated-and-frozen, or the recording bought as a service instead
• Customer tier eligibility where an academic core rate card applies

Quality documentation

• Certificates of analysis for neurons and glia
• Pre-shipment electrophysiological activity record, which must be contracted explicitly
• Plating density and coverage confirmation
• Viability at release
• Sterility and mycoplasma

Specify

• Electrode geometry: planar array sensing only the contact face, perforated or 3D pillar array sensing into the tissue
• Organoid diameter and age, and the array seeding area it must sit within
• Anchoring method, and whether it must be non-destructive and reversible
• Whether integrated microfluidic perfusion is required to keep the organoid core viable
• Network activity acceptance criterion and the maturation age at which it is assessed
• Whether the maturation milestones matter to the study, such as the GABA polarity switch or complex burst onset
• Number of organoids and wells, and the replicate structure
• Whether the buyer already owns an instrument the plate must match
• Stimulation requirement, and whether every electrode must be bidirectional

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis per released batch for the tissue
• Pre-delivery activity record where a coupled culture is contracted, which must be specified explicitly
• Organoid diameter and morphology record
• Viability at release
• Sterility

Specify

• Electrodes per well required, and separately the number recordable SIMULTANEOUSLY, which is a different and smaller number on some formats
• Sampling rate required, since the simultaneous channel count falls as sampling rate rises
• Well format and throughput needed: 1, 6, 24 or 96 wells
• Seeding area available per well and the plating density that follows from it
• Whether stimulation is required, and whether every electrode must be bidirectional
• 2D culture, 3D culture, organoid, spheroid, brain slice, explanted retina or cardiac model
• Cell source, subtype and genotype
• Instrument compatibility, including which HyperCAM generation the plate must pair with
• Coating protocol and the coating volume implied by the well volume
• Network activity acceptance criterion at delivery

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer plate specification including electrode count, pitch and seeding area
• Certificates of analysis for all cell inputs
• Pre-delivery activity record where a plated culture is contracted rather than an empty plate
• Plating density and coverage confirmation
• Viability, sterility and mycoplasma

Specify

• Device function and the biological question it must answer
• Critical dimensions and tolerances (chamber, channel, post spacing, feature size)
• Aspect ratio and layer thickness requirements
• Material (PDMS default; specify if bonding to glass or another substrate)
• Surface treatment requirement (hydrophilicity, coating chemistry)
• Compatibility with an existing plate footprint, microscope stage or instrument
• Sterilisation method the device must survive
• Quantity: prototype count, then production batch size
• Whether the buyer owns the resulting design and tooling

Quality documentation

• Dimensional inspection against the agreed drawing
• Cleanroom production record
• Prototype iteration and in-house or customer-side testing before batch release

Specify

• Throughput required (number of independent tissues)
• Plate footprint compatibility (12-well, 24-well, 96-well)
• Post geometry and spacing, and whether post stiffness must be specified
• Tissue volume per construct
• Electrode / stimulation access requirement
• Imaging access requirement (microscope adapter, optical bottom)
• Whether reusable or single-use devices are required
• Quantity and reorder cadence

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer device QC
• Sterility packaging per supplier specification
• User guide and documented seeding protocol

Specify

• Whether stimulation, force readout, or both are required
• Plate format the hardware must accept
• Per-well independent protocol control requirement
• Stimulation waveform, frequency and duty-cycle range
• Acute pacing vs long-term chronic pacing inside an incubator
• Data output format and analysis software needs
• Buy vs access-through-a-partner-facility

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer instrument QC and calibration documentation
• Installation and training scope per supplier quote

Specify

• MEA platform and instrument model (Axion Maestro Pro/Edge/Volt, MaxWell MaxTwo/MaxOne, Multi Channel Systems MEA2100, 3Brain, Alpha MED)
• Plate format and vendor catalogue number (e.g. CytoView MEA 6/12/24/48/96)
• Electrodes per well required, and whether single-cell resolution or population activity is the endpoint
• Bottom material and wall colour (transparent SU-8, glass, white/black polystyrene) and whether optical multiplexing is needed
• Single-use or reusable, and if reusable the number of cleaning cycles the vendor will stand behind on electrode impedance
• Annual plate volume, quoted at three quantities so the discount curve is visible
• Whether a consumables subscription is offered, its annual commitment and the under-consumption penalty
• Whether analysis software is perpetual or subscription, and which assay modules are separately licensed
• Coating requirement (PDL, PEI, poly-ornithine, laminin) and whether it is applied by the vendor
• Minimum order value and freight terms

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer certificate of conformance for the plate lot
• Vendor-stated electrode impedance specification
• Sterility status as supplied
• Dimensional and format conformance to the stated catalogue number

Specify

• Aggregates required per run, and whether individual aggregates must be tracked over time
• Target spheroid diameter and the cells per aggregate implied by it
• Microwells per well required, worked back through cells-to-load = microwells x cells per spheroid
• Plate format and footprint, and whether ANSI/SLAS 1-2004 compliance is required
• Bottom material and thickness if imaging (COP membrane, optically clear polystyrene, hydrogel)
• Non-attachment chemistry: covalently bonded ULA, non-fouling coating, or surfactant pre-treatment
• Working volume per well and medium-exchange method
• Whether the workflow is automated, including z-clearance for tall plates
• Pack size and annual volume
• Whether a plate rotor balanced at 2,000 x g is available for debubbling

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer certificate of conformance and lot number
• Stated sterilisation method (Kugelmeiers SP5D is X-ray irradiated)
• Vendor-stated microwell count, cavity dimensions and working volume per the product data sheet
• Coating chemistry and bonding method as stated on the data sheet

Specify

• Insert diameter and matching plate format (4.26 mm / 96-well through 75 mm / 100 mm dish)
• Membrane material: polyester (PET), polycarbonate (PC) or collagen-coated PTFE
• Pore size, and the pore density that goes with it in that material
• Whether cells must be visible through the membrane (PET clear, PC translucent, PTFE clear when wet)
• Assay intent: barrier and transport (0.4-3.0 um) versus invasion and chemotaxis (3.0 um and above)
• Whether the membrane must be removable into an Ussing or diffusion chamber (Snapwell)
• Whether a mesh rather than a track-etched membrane is required (Netwell, for gels and explants)
• Automation requirement and therefore whether the HTS-96 single unit is needed
• ECM coating chemistry to be applied, and by whom
• TEER instrument and electrode configuration to be used, so the blank and normalisation are agreed up front

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer certificate of conformance and lot number
• Stated nominal growth area for the format, for per-area normalisation
• Stated pore size and nominal pore density for the membrane material supplied
• Sterility status as supplied

Specify

• Is shear stress an independent variable in the experiment, or just a culture condition?
• Target wall shear stress in dyn/cm2, and the medium viscosity at your temperature and serum concentration
• Unidirectional or bidirectional flow (gravity levelling is inherently bidirectional)
• Number of channels to be perfused in parallel
• Recirculating or single-pass (at 10 dyn/cm2 in a typical channel, recirculation is effectively compulsory)
• Channel geometry and bottom material, since both change the shear coefficient
• Whether the device is an ibidi channel slide, a plate-format chip, or a custom geometry needing its own derivation
• Imaging requirement and whether the perfusion umbilical fits the stage or stage-top incubator
• Bubble mitigation: degassing, in-line degasser or bubble trap
• Whether the fabricator must deliver a CFD result or a measured flow-to-shear calibration with the part

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer specification for pressure range and accuracy
• Published shear stress coefficient for the exact catalogue slide supplied
• Channel dimensional specification and bottom material as stated on the product page
• Where a custom channel is involved, an agreed shear-stress derivation or measured calibration as a deliverable

Specify

• Tissue model and the endpoint the chip must support (barrier, perfusion, vascularisation, grafting, ADME)
• Chips or wells per plate required, and conditions per year after replicates and controls
• Chip material, justified against the compound class (PDMS, COP, PMMA, thermoplastic, glass-bottom)
• Perfusion mechanism the consumable requires: rocker, pumped recirculation or none
• Imaging requirement and bottom thickness
• Empty plate or assay-ready pre-seeded, and the published uplift accepted
• Direct purchase or distributor routing, priced both ways
• Volume curve requested at three annual quantities rather than one
• Instrument, module, software licence and service contract quoted as four separate lines
• Whether the finished-tissue alternative would answer the question at lower total cost

Quality documentation

• Manufacturer certificate of conformance and lot number
• Stated chips per plate and channel geometry per the product specification
• Sterility status as supplied
• For assay-ready plates, the vendor's stated cell component and interface specification

Specify

• File format, ideally GDS — DXF-to-GDS conversion is billable at the academic cleanroom rate
• Minimum feature width and the tolerance genuinely needed, distinguished from the tolerance preferred
• Channel height and tolerance, since height drives the master price tier directly
• Number of layers, and whether inter-layer alignment is required
• Aspect ratio, against a standard cap of roughly 1:4 width to height
• Material: PDMS, thermoplastic or glass — this changes the method, not just the price
• Substrate and bonding requirement: bonded to glass, to another PDMS layer, or supplied unbonded
• Surface treatment or coating requirement
• Sterilisation method the finished device must survive
• Quantity now and realistic quantity within twelve months, quoted at both
• Whether the master mould is delivered to the buyer or retained by the fabricator

Quality documentation

• Dimensional inspection against the agreed drawing
• Stated feature-width and height tolerance for the fabricator's standard process
• First-article inspection before batch release
• Where the master is retained, a written statement of what a repeat order costs

Specify

• Part function: chamber, manifold, holder, stage insert, casting mould or fluidic device
• Minimum feature size, and whether any feature is below 200 um (start at 3-5x pixel size and reduce empirically)
• Whether channels are closed, and how uncured resin will be cleared before post-cure
• Resin selection, with published ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity data and a note of what else it was tested for
• Wash and post-cure protocol, since published material data is only valid for that protocol
• Whether a deliberate post-cure extraction soak is included
• Sterilisation method required, and whether the as-built part (not a coupon) has been checked for distortion
• Imaging requirement, and whether a glass or COP optical window will be bonded
• Whether the part contacts cells directly or only via a cast PDMS intermediate
• Quantity now and expected quantity, since printing does not amortise

Quality documentation

• Dimensional inspection against the CAD model
• Documented wash and post-cure conditions matching the resin data sheet
• Resin data sheet with ISO 10993-5 cytotoxicity classification where a certified medical resin is used
• Distortion check on the finished part after the specified sterilisation cycle
• Customer-side cytotoxicity control with the intended cell type on the finished part before the real experiment

Specify

• Species and specific anatomical site
• Animal age grade (fetal / calf / adult)
• Dimensions and quantity required
• Fresh (wet ice) vs frozen (-20 to -80 C, dry ice)
• Processing (unprocessed, processed fresh, in saline, in PBS, custom dissection)
• Sterility requirement
• Whether attached structures are needed (e.g. ligament with bone plugs)
• Documentation required (origin, certificate of analysis)

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis available on request from the supplier
• Documented US-origin abattoir sourcing
• Cold chain handling appropriate to fresh or frozen selection

Specify

• Tissue or fluid type and anatomical site
• Donor demographics (age, sex, ethnicity, BMI) and disease state
• Fresh, frozen, fixed or viable-cell requirement
• Quantity per specimen and number of unique donors
• Banked inventory vs prospective collection
• Consent scope required (research use, commercial use, genomic analysis)
• IRB / ethics documentation required
• Matched clinical annotation or serology required

Quality documentation

• Donor consent and IRB documentation
• Serology / infectious disease screening per supplier protocol
• Chain-of-custody and collection-to-preservation time record
• Clinical annotation where contracted

Specify

• Product class (whole blood, PBMC, leukopak, mobilised leukopak, bone marrow aspirate, isolated immune subset)
• Fresh versus cryopreserved, and the acceptable time from draw to receipt
• Donor demographics, HLA type and disease state
• Recallable donor requirement for longitudinal or repeat-draw designs
• Cell yield or volume per unit, and the number of unique donors
• Anticoagulant, tube type and processing window where the pre-analytical variable is part of the experiment
• Banked inventory versus prospective collection under IRB
• Consent scope required (research use, commercial use, genomic analysis)
• Matched clinical annotation or serology required

Quality documentation

• Donor consent and IRB documentation
• Serology / infectious disease screening per supplier protocol
• Viability and cell count at release
• Chain-of-custody and collection-to-processing time record

Specify

• Sample types required from the same donor (cell types, tissue, DNA, biofluid)
• Whether a repository already holds a matched set, or a fresh isolation is needed
• Donor demographics, disease state and any required clinical annotation
• Karyotype or genomic consistency requirement across the set, given that expansions can be mosaic
• Passage and expansion headroom needed for each cell type in the set
• Consent scope covering every intended use across the whole set
• MTA and use restrictions, which may differ per item within a single donor's material
• Delivery of the set together versus staged against separate lead times

Quality documentation

• Certificate of analysis per item
• Donor consent and IRB documentation
• Identity confirmation linking each item to the same donor
• Serology / infectious disease screening per supplier protocol

Specify

• Starting material provided by the customer, and its documentation
• Cell type and whether adherent or suspension
• Target total viable cells and target vial count
• Cells per vial and cryopreservation medium
• Maximum passage number permitted
• Grade: research use only vs phase-appropriate GMP
• Media formulation (supplier standard vs custom)
• Release testing panel required
• Storage: returned to customer vs held at the manufacturer

Quality documentation

• Cell count and viability
• Sterility testing (USP <71>, direct inoculation or membrane filtration)
• Mycoplasma testing (NAT method equivalent to USP <63>)
• Endotoxin (kinetic chromogenic, USP <85>)
• Identity or lineage marker assay appropriate to the cell type
• Batch manufacturing record

Specify

• Starting material (customer line vs supplier line vs sourced by us)
• Target cell type and required purity percentage
• Total viable cells or tissue count required
• Whether genome editing is in scope
• Deliverable form: cryopreserved cells, live cells, or formed 3D tissue
• Characterisation package required at handover
• Engagement model (fixed-price fee-for-service, FTE, hybrid)
• IP ownership of protocol improvements

Quality documentation

• Purity by marker expression (flow cytometry or immunostaining)
• Viability
• Sterility and mycoplasma
• Differentiation characterisation report

Specify

• Starting material: fibroblasts, PBMCs, renal epithelial cells, or a skin biopsy requiring isolation first
• Reprogramming method (non-integrating episomal, mRNA-LNP, Sendai) and whether episome loss must be confirmed
• Number of clonal lines to be delivered, and vials per line
• Passage at cryopreservation and passage at delivery
• Exact QC panel: STR identity, mycoplasma method, karyotype, pluripotency by protein and/or transcript
• Grade: research use only, research-grade with GMP documentation, or full GMP
• Who owns the resulting lines and banks, and whether the provider retains any distribution right
• Donor consent scope: whether it covers line derivation, sequencing and commercial use
• Storage: included for how long, at what rate afterwards, and what happens if payment stops
• Eligibility for the institutional customer class being quoted

Quality documentation

• 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

Specify

• Number of vials and cells per vial — a number, not 'a bank'
• Bank type: research use only, master cell bank, or working cell bank
• Passage number at freeze, and the passage at which incoming material will arrive
• Exact release test panel, assay by assay, with the method for each
• Grade: RUO, research-grade with GMP documentation, or full GMP
• Cryoprotectant formulation and controlled-rate freezing profile
• Who owns the resulting bank, and whether the provider retains any right to distribute it
• Storage: included for how long, at what rate afterwards, and what happens if you stop paying
• Shipping and cold chain on release, including who pays for a failed shipment
• Source-material licence, if the parent line came from a repository or vendor
• Customer class eligibility for the rate being quoted

Quality documentation

• Post-freeze viability and cell count on a test vial
• Mycoplasma testing
• STR identity profiling
• Certificate of analysis and full vial inventory with freeze date and passage
• Karyotype and pluripotency assays available as separately priced additions

Specify

• Which product is required: assay-ready cells, a single-lot assay-ready bank, or plated cells
• Plate format and manufacturer part number (96-well black-walled clear-bottom is not 96-well white, and MEA plates are different again)
• Coating chemistry, concentration and age at seeding
• Cells per well, and whether droplet or distributed seeding
• Co-culture composition and ratio, if any (glia are usually required for neuronal work and usually omitted from the quote)
• Media, supplements and feed schedule up to delivery
• Day of delivery relative to seeding — the difference between an adherent monolayer and a mature network
• Live or frozen, with the acceptance test defined for each
• Acceptance criterion on arrival: viability, confluence or function, with a threshold and a measurement window
• Number of plates or vials and the delivery cadence
• Who bears transit loss on a live shipment

Quality documentation

• Supplier certificate of analysis with cell count and viability
• Purity by marker with a stated method and threshold (Ncardia publishes >=70% cTnT+ by flow cytometry as a product specification)
• Mycoplasma testing
• Functional QC where the supplier offers it (Ncardia publishes MEA response to dofetilide, nifedipine and isoproterenol)
• Agreed arrival acceptance test, without which a marginal plate becomes an argument rather than a claim

Specify

• Sample type (cell suspension, adherent culture, tissue, medium, device)
• Assay list required from the compendial menu
• Acceptance criteria and specification limits for each assay
• Number of samples and lots
• Whether results must be issued to a third party (e.g. the buyer as well as us)
• Turnaround requirement
• Whether a GMP-grade or research-grade report is required

Quality documentation

• Test report per assay against the stated method
• Compendial method citation (USP chapter) where applicable
• Out-of-specification handling procedure agreed in advance

Specify

• Sample type, thickness and fixation state on arrival
• Sectioning vs whole-mount 3D clearing and imaging
• Stain and antibody panel required (specify targets)
• Number of samples and conditions
• Quantitative endpoints required (alignment angle, layer count, cell density, colocalisation)
• Image data delivery format and whether raw data is included
• Whether a pathologist or scientist interpretation is required

Quality documentation

• Staining controls appropriate to the panel
• Image acquisition metadata
• Quantitative analysis report
• Raw image data delivery where contracted

Specify

• Measurement type (twitch force, tetanic force, fatigue protocol, damage protocol, calcium imaging, MEA electrophysiology)
• Acceptance threshold in physical units and the exact protocol used to measure it
• Number of tissues and technical replicates
• Stimulation parameters during measurement
• Timepoints across maturation
• Whether measurement is destructive and what happens to units afterwards
• Raw waveform data delivery requirement
• Independence requirement (tested by the builder vs by a third party)

Quality documentation

• Per-unit force traces against the acceptance criterion
• Instrument calibration record
• Measurement protocol documentation
• Statistical summary across the batch

Specify

• Which loci and which kit (PowerPlex 16 and PowerPlex 18D are not the same panel)
• Whether interpretation is included, or raw allele calls are returned
• Which reference database the profile is compared against, if any
• Number of samples, so the pack-size or quantity discount applies
• Sample format required: FTA card with dried cells, live culture, or a frozen pellet
• Whether a signed report is required for a manuscript or regulatory submission
• For karyotype: banding method, number of metaphases scored, and species
• Whether pluripotency confirmation is required, and by protein, transcript, or both
• Turnaround requirement, in writing
• Eligibility for the customer-class rate being quoted

Quality documentation

• Allele table for the profiled loci
• Database comparison and expert interpretation where the provider includes it (ATCC states comparison against its own database and Cellosaurus, with interpretation of stutter, off-ladder alleles and artefacts)
• Signed test report citing the method and kit used
• Karyogram and metaphase count where karyotype is ordered

Specify

• Sample type and matrix (cell suspension, adherent culture, tissue construct, hydrogel, medium, device extract)
• Mycoplasma method required: enzymatic luminescence or nucleic acid amplification, and whether the report must state species coverage
• Sterility: compendial USP <71> at 14 days, or a rapid method, or both integrated
• Number of containers, since sterility pricing tiers on container count
• Whether method suitability for your matrix has been established or will be billed separately
• Endotoxin limit and whether USP <85> method validation is already in place for this matrix
• Bioburden and specified-microorganism requirements, priced per microbe
• Acceptance criteria and specification limits for each assay
• Out-of-specification handling procedure, agreed in advance
• Whether results must be issued to a third party as well as the buyer
• Turnaround requirement, in writing

Quality documentation

• Test report per assay citing the compendial method (USP <71>, <85>, <61>, <63> or equivalent)
• Stated detection method and, for mycoplasma PCR, the species coverage and sensitivity
• Method suitability or validation record for the matrix tested
• Out-of-specification investigation per the agreed procedure

Specify

• MEA platform and plate format the recording must be made on
• Number of recordings, and the number of conditions after replicates and controls
• Whether cells are supplied by the buyer or differentiated by the provider
• Co-culture composition and ratio, since astrocytes are effectively mandatory for network activity
• Seeding density in the units the protocol uses, and whether droplet or distributed plating
• Coating protocol, including any matrix added to the seeding medium
• Recording schedule: day of first recording, interval, and day of plateau
• The acceptance criterion in writing: burst rate, synchrony index or firing rate, at a stated day
• Pharmacological challenge compounds, if any
• Whether raw data is delivered or only a report
• Customer class and eligibility for the tier being quoted

Quality documentation

• Recording report against the stated acceptance criterion
• Raw recording data where the provider delivers it
• Plate and platform identification per recording
• Where differentiation is bundled, the provider's own cell release data

Specify

• Material state (live at 4 C, frozen on dry ice, cryogenic vapour-phase nitrogen, ambient fixed)
• Required arrival date and acceptable delivery window
• Destination country, institution and named receiving person
• Customs, import permit and biological material declaration requirements
• Temperature logging requirement
• Maximum acceptable transit time given the material's shelf life
• Contingency handling on a missed delivery
• Whether the receiving site can accept a Tuesday-morning delivery

Quality documentation

• Temperature excursion logging where contracted
• Chain-of-custody documentation
• Shipping and customs paperwork
• Receipt confirmation and condition-on-arrival record

Specify

• Temperature class required, confirmed with the supplier rather than assumed: ambient, chilled 2-8 C, frozen on dry ice, or cryogenic below -150 C
• Payload: number and type of vials or containers, and therefore the shipper capacity needed
• Required hold time including realistic customs and delivery contingency
• Charged or uncharged, and whether the origin facility routinely handles liquid nitrogen
• Whether a temperature data logger is required (if the answer might ever be yes, it is yes)
• Origin, destination and whether the movement crosses a border
• Whether an ISC contract and IATA Packing Instruction 954 compliance are already in place for international dry ice
• Import permits for the destination, confirmed with a broker (e.g. USDA APHIS VS Form 16-3 for organisms and vectors into the US)
• Declared value, set honestly, with the surcharge budgeted
• Whether the supplier charges freight by weight or by shipment value
• Who bears the loss if the shipment fails, stated in writing
• Round-trip logistics for returning the rented unit

Quality documentation

• Shipper charge record and dispatch temperature
• Temperature data logger record where an ELPRO Libero CE or equivalent is specified
• Chain of custody and courier tracking documentation
• Packing declaration against the applicable IATA packing instruction (PI 650 for UN 3373 Category B, PI 954 for dry ice as a refrigerant)
• Arrival condition check against an agreed acceptance criterion