Answers on ordering, shipping, cell handling, quality control, MTAs and commercial use, for researchers working with our authenticated cell lines and culture services.
Brand transition: CLS to Cytion
What changed for existing customers when CLS Cell Lines Service rebranded to Cytion
Why did CLS become Cytion?+−
On 23 November 2023, CLS Cell Lines Service rebranded to Cytion, and the transition has since been completed across both legal entities. We now operate as Cytion GmbH in Heidelberg, Germany, and Cytion LLC in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. The rebrand reflects our expansion beyond classical cell banking into a broader portfolio of cell-based research products and services.
Are existing CLS catalogue numbers, CoAs and SDS documents still valid?+−
Yes. Catalogue numbers from the CLS era refer to the same authenticated cell lines and remain recognized in the order system. Existing Certificates of Analysis and Safety Data Sheets stay valid as historical lot documents. New CoAs, SDS and invoices are issued under the Cytion name, and both CLS and Cytion citations are accepted in publications.
How are Cytion Germany and Cytion USA related?+−
Cytion GmbH (Heidelberg, Germany) handles orders and customer support across Europe and most international markets. Cytion LLC (Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA), founded in 2024, is a separate US entity that handles orders, MTAs and customer support across North America. Both entities share the same authenticated cell line portfolio and operate under the same ISO 9001:2015 quality system.
Products and cell lines
What is in the catalogue and how cells are supplied
What types of cells does Cytion offer?+−
The catalogue comprises more than 1000 authenticated cell lines covering human and animal tumor lines, immortalized normal lines, reporter and stably transfected derivatives, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Primary cells, culture media, freeze medium (CM-1), cell-detachment reagents and PBS round out the portfolio.
How many cells come in a cryovial?+−
Standard fill volumes are typically 3 × 106 cells per vial for adherent lines and 5 × 106 cells per vial for suspension lines, cryopreserved in a defined freezing medium. The exact viable cell count for the lot you receive is documented on the batch-specific Certificate of Analysis.
What if the cell line I need is not in the catalogue?+−
Cytion can source cell lines through scientific partnerships, deposit programs and technology-transfer arrangements. Contact our scientific team with the line name and the intended application, and we will indicate availability, lead time and licensing terms.
Can I deposit a cell line with Cytion?+−
Yes. Our technology-transfer program accepts cell line deposits from academic and industry researchers and covers authentication, master and working bank production, ongoing quality control and global distribution. See Deposit a cell line or contact us for the deposit agreement and the submission workflow.
Ordering, pricing and payment
Placing orders, VAT, payment methods and quotations
How do I place an order?+−
Orders can be placed directly through the online shop on cytion.com or by email or phone to your regional support team. A purchase order number can be added at checkout, and institutional invoicing is supported. For bulk, recurring or custom orders, request a formal quotation from sales. The steps are summarized on How to Order.
Are prices shown with or without VAT?+−
All prices on cytion.com are listed net of VAT. Applicable VAT, shipping and any customs charges are added at checkout, based on the delivery country and your VAT status. EU customers with a valid VAT ID receive a tax-exempt invoice under the reverse-charge mechanism.
What payment methods do you accept?+−
Standard methods include credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and SEPA bank transfer for European customers. Institutional accounts can be set up for invoiced payment against a purchase order. North American customers are served by Cytion USA with locally accepted payment options.
Can I get a quotation for a bulk or institutional order?+−
Yes. For multiple vials, custom packaging, multi-line orders or framework agreements with research institutions, request a formal quotation. Quotations state the use rights per cell line (research only or commercial) directly at the line item and include shipping and lead-time terms.
Can I order from outside the EU?+−
The European online shop ships globally with one exception: America is handled by Cytion USA in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Customers in the US, Canada and parts of Latin America should order through the regional entity for shorter shipping times, regional MTAs and local invoicing.
Shipping and delivery
How frozen cells travel from Heidelberg to your bench
How are cells shipped?+−
Cryopreserved cells are shipped in validated insulated packaging, on dry ice or in LN₂ vapor shippers, depending on the product and the route. Each shipment includes the lot-specific Certificate of Analysis and handling instructions, and is tracked end to end through the courier.
What are typical delivery times?+−
Transit times and shipping costs by destination are listed on Shipping and Delivery. Orders are typically processed within one to two business days after confirmation and are dispatched Monday through Wednesday to avoid weekend transit and to ensure dry-ice viability on arrival.
What should I do when my shipment arrives?+−
Inspect the package on receipt and confirm that the cryovials are still deeply frozen, with no thawing or cloudiness. Transfer them immediately to long-term storage in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen (−150 to −196 °C). Document the date and any observations from unboxing for traceability.
What if my package is delayed or the cells arrive thawed?+−
Contact scientific support without delay and include the order number, photographs of the packaging and the courier tracking record. Cells that arrive partially or fully thawed are covered by our 60-day viability guarantee, and we will arrange a replacement once the issue is documented.
Storage, thawing and handling
Cryostorage, recovery and finding the protocol for your cell line
How should I store cryopreserved cells long term?+−
Store them in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen at −150 °C or below. A mechanical −80 °C freezer is acceptable only as a short interim step (days, not weeks), because viability degrades steadily above −135 °C due to recrystallization. Keep an inventory record with lot, location and freeze date.
What is the recommended thawing protocol?+−
Standard rapid thaw:
- Thaw the cryovial in a 37 °C water bath for 40 to 60 seconds and remove it as soon as a small ice crystal remains
- Transfer the contents aseptically into 9 to 10 mL of pre-warmed complete growth medium
- Centrifuge at 200 × g for 5 minutes
- Resuspend the pellet in fresh medium and seed at the recommended density
Line-specific recovery conditions (seeding density, plate format, first medium change) are listed on the product page.
What freeze medium do you recommend?+−
For routine cryopreservation, use complete growth medium supplemented with 10 % DMSO, or Cytion’s ready-to-use CM-1 freeze medium. Controlled-rate cooling at approximately −1 °C per minute (with a freezing container or a programmable freezer) is recommended, followed by transfer to liquid nitrogen for long-term storage.
Where do I find the protocol for my specific cell line?+−
Each product page lists the culture medium composition, recommended seeding density, subculturing ratio, passage frequency and post-thaw recovery conditions. Lot-specific data such as viable cell count, STR profile and mycoplasma status appear on the batch Certificate of Analysis that ships with your order and can be downloaded from the product page.
Quality, authentication and biosafety
The full QC panel run on every Cytion cell line, in-house and third-party
Is Cytion ISO-certified?+−
Yes. Cell lines are manufactured in Germany under our ISO 9001:2015 certified Quality Management System. Certificate details and the certificate for download are available on Quality Assurance.
How is cell line identity authenticated?+−
Identity is confirmed by short tandem repeat (STR) profiling at 16 markers for human cell lines (AMEL, CSF1PO, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, FGA, Penta_D, Penta_E, TH01, TPOX, vWA), matched against international reference databases with an identity-match percentage reported on each lot.
Since 2023, STR profiling has been performed by IDEXX BioAnalytics as an independent third-party laboratory. STR is repeated for every new master and working bank. STR authentication is applicable to human, mouse, rat, hamster and canine cell lines.
How are cells tested for mycoplasma?+−
Every cell bank is screened with a PCR-based detection assay using specific primers that target mycoplasma DNA. A separate post-production mycoplasma test is run on the final cryopreserved lot. Results are recorded as pass or fail on the lot-specific Certificate of Analysis.
What sterility testing (bacteria and fungi) is performed?+−
Sterility is established by direct inoculation on 8 culture media with a 10-day incubation, followed by microbial identification by MALDI-TOF MS where growth is observed. Anaerobic culture is performed where applicable. The lot is released only when no aerobic microbial growth is detected, and a separate post-production sterility test confirms the absence of bacterial and fungal growth on the cryopreserved vial.
Which viral pathogens are screened?+−
Species-specific viral screening is performed on every lot where applicable. For human cell lines the panel covers:
- Hepatitis A, B and C virus (HAV, HBV, HCV)
- Human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1, HIV-2)
- Human T-lymphotropic virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1, HTLV-2)
Species-specific pathogen testing is available for human, mouse, rat, hamster, bovine and porcine cell lines. The exact panel applied to your lot is listed on its Certificate of Analysis.
How do you check for interspecies cross-contamination?+−
Every lot is screened for interspecies contamination against mouse, rat, human, Chinese hamster and African green monkey backgrounds. The positive or negative status for each species is reported on the Certificate of Analysis. This assay is performed by IDEXX BioAnalytics alongside the STR and viral pathogen tests.
How is post-thaw viability assessed before release?+−
Post-freeze viability is measured on a Vi-CELL BLU (Beckman Coulter), analyzing 100 images per sample on 200 µL of cell suspension. The release criterion is at least 70 % post-thaw viability, and the actual value for your lot is printed on the Certificate of Analysis. Recovery is verified by culturing a reference vial and confirming more than 80 % confluence within the expected recovery period, together with a check of the expected growth properties (adherent, suspension or semi-adherent).
What is the 60-day viability guarantee?+−
Cytion guarantees that authenticated cryopreserved cell lines are viable when handled according to the recommended protocol within 60 days of the shipment date. If you experience non-recovery after a documented standard thaw within this window, contact scientific support for a replacement vial. More details are on Quality Assurance.
Where do I find the Certificate of Analysis for my lot?+−
The lot-specific Certificate of Analysis (CoA) ships with every order and can be downloaded from the product page, using the lot number printed on the cryovial label. Each CoA documents the passage number, viable cell count, post-thaw viability, sterility, mycoplasma status, the full STR profile with identity match, interspecies contamination and the species-specific pathogen panel. If you cannot find the CoA for an older lot, contact scientific support with the catalogue number and lot ID and we will resend it.
What biosafety level applies, and are any lines classified as GMO?+−
Each product page lists the recommended biosafety level (typically BSL-1 or BSL-2) and any species- or pathogen-specific considerations. Several lines, for example HEK293 derivatives carrying viral elements, are classified as genetically modified organisms. In Germany these are typically GMO-S1. GMO classification can vary by country, so please check with your local regulator before importing. See also Biosafety Information.
MTA, licensing and commercial use
Material Transfer Agreements, regional variants and commercial licensing
What is the Material Transfer Agreement (MTA), and when do I need to sign it?+−
The MTA is a research-use agreement that covers the transfer, use and onward transfer of a specific cell line for internal research at a single site. Lines requiring an MTA are flagged on the product page. The agreement must be signed before the cells are released for shipment.
Which cell lines are covered by an MTA?+−
Only those that display the MTA notice on the product page. The notice indicates the depositor’s terms and any field-of-use restrictions specific to that line. Lines without an MTA flag ship under Cytion’s standard research-use terms.
I am in the US, Canada, China or Taiwan. Does the standard MTA apply?+−
No. Customers in the US and Canada are served by Cytion USA, which uses regional MTAs and licensing terms. For China and Taiwan, separate region-specific agreements apply. Contact your regional team and we will issue the correct agreement for your jurisdiction.
Can I use Cytion cells for commercial purposes?+−
Cell lines are supplied for research use only by default. Commercial applications such as fee-for-service work, contract research, QC testing of products, drug discovery for external clients, diagnostic kits and regulatory submissions require a tailored license. Complete the Intended Use Form on the product page or contact us directly to start the agreement. An overview is on Research and Commercial Use.
Services
Authentication, QC testing, expansion, banking and assay-ready manufacturing
What does the mycoplasma detection service include?+−
Rapid and premium mycoplasma tests on customer-submitted cell stocks, using a two-point detection system. The report documents the result for each sample. The service is useful for incoming-line screening, periodic audits and pre-publication QC. See Mycoplasma Testing.
What does STR cell line authentication include?+−
STR profiling of a customer-submitted cell pellet or DNA sample with a species-specific marker panel, for example 16 markers for human cells, with comparison to the Cellosaurus database and a report that classifies the line as authenticated or misidentified. It is used to confirm identity, detect cross-contamination and meet journal authentication requirements. Available for human, mouse, rat, hamster and canine lines. See Cell Line Authentication.
What is the Assay-Ready Cell service?+−
Production of large, single-lot batches of ready-to-use, vial-matched cells for high-throughput screening and assay development. Each vial in the lot is qualified to the same viability and performance criteria, which reduces inter-experiment variability and accelerates campaign timelines. See Cell Banking and Assay-Ready Cells.
Can Cytion expand or bank a cell line for me?+−
Yes. Cell culture expansion (scale-up to defined cell numbers, pellets or DNA/RNA quantities), master and working cell bank production and ongoing sample storage are available as fee-for-service projects. Each engagement starts with a brief scoping call to confirm specifications, deliverables and timeline. See Cell Culture Expansion and Sample Storage.
Still have questions?
Our scientific support team works directly with researchers on cell line selection, culture troubleshooting, MTAs and bulk or custom orders. Most enquiries are answered within one working day.
Contact scientific support