ATCC Standards Development Organization Releases Third ANSI Standard

ATCC, the premier global biological materials resource and standards organization, announces today that the ATCC Standards Development Organization (SDO) completed and published the consensus standard: Species-Level Identification of Animal Cells through Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit 1 (CO1) DNA Barcodes (ANSI/ASN-0003-2015) for interspecies cell line identity based on sequence technology. This is the third ATCC SDO consensus standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Identifying species accurately is important in applications ranging from regulatory compliance of animal-derived food and medical products to taxonomic applications, and as standard reference materials or controls for authenticating animal cell lines and tissues. The ASN-0003 Standard on Species-Level Identification of Animal Cells through Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit 1 (CO1) DNA Barcodes is intended for interspecies identification of animal cell lines and tissues. The technique which is based on the sequencing of the CO1 gene can be easily replicated among laboratories because reference databases contain verified sequences obtained from voucher (reference) specimens. This new standard complements the existing standard, ASN-0002- Authentication of Human Cell Lines: Standardization of STR Profiling, which is used for human cell line and tissue identification.

“The release of this new DNA sequence-based standard provides scientists and researchers with another milestone in their arsenal to address the growing requirements to support reproducibility in science,” stated Maryellen de Mars, Ph.D., Senior Director, Standards Resource Center, ATCC. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to collaborate with the scientific community to develop standards and authentication tools to advance scientific knowledge.”

This groundbreaking accomplishment was achieved under the leadership of the ATCC SDO and ANSI workgroup, chaired by Jason Katz Cooper, M.S., and Yvonne Reid, Ph.D. Dr. de Mars continued, “we thank the chairpersons and all the workgroup members from industry and academia for their tireless work and commitment to address the issue of misidentified cell lines.”

The ASN-0003 Species-Level Identification of Animal Cells through Mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase Subunit 1 (CO1) DNA Barcodes consensus standard can be ordered from the ANSI eStandards Store. A related standard: ASN-0004-Species-Level Identification and Cross-Contamination Screening in Animal Cells by Multiplex PCR is now in development.

ATCC is a premier global biological materials and information resource and standards organization and the leading developer and supplier of authenticated cell lines, microorganisms, and associated data for academia, industry, and government. With a history of scientific contributions spanning nearly a century, ATCC offers an unmatched combination of being the world’s largest and most diverse collection of biological reference materials and data, and is a mission-driven, trusted partner that supports and encourages scientific collaboration. ATCC products, services, partnerships, and people provide the global scientific community with credible, advanced, model systems to support complex research and innovations in basic science, drug discovery, translational medicine, and public health. ATCC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with headquarters in Manassas, Virginia, and a research and technology center of excellence in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

Contact: Kim Testa, senior director, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, ATCC, [email protected]