FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Categories
General Information
Will SeV remain active after differentiation?
No. The SeV used in our kits is a temperature-sensitive mutant that is active at 33℃ but becomes inactive at 37℃, which is the temperature instructed in the user guides post-differentiation.
Is Sendai virus (SeV) dangerous?
SeV is not pathogenic to humans (i.e., humans are not the natural host of the virus) and the infection does not persist in immunocompetent animals. Furthermore, SeV used in our kits does not produce infectious viral particles upon transduction to host hPSCs and is a temperature-sensitive mutant, such that it is active at 33℃ but becomes inactive at 37℃. However, because SeV can be transmitted by aerosol and contact with respiratory secretions and is highly contagious, appropriate care must be taken to prevent potential mucosal exposure to the virus. Our SeV-based kits must be used under Biosafety Level 2 (BL-2) containment with a biological safety cabinet or a laminar flow hood and with appropriate personal protective equipment. In the event that the virus comes into contact with skin or eyes, decontaminate the affected area by flushing with plenty of water and follow the safety manual prepared by your laboratory and approved by your Institutional Biosafety Committee.
Do I need a license agreement for any of Elixirgen Scientific’s products?
No. You don't need any licence or material transfer agreement (MTA) to use our differentiation kits or iPSC-derived cells. However, please be advised that these products are for research use only.
What kind of transcription factors are used for differentiation induction?
It is a proprietary formulated RNA and cannot be disclosed.
User Guide Information/Troubleshooting
Why do differentiation kits require hPSCs be maintained under StemFit or StemFlex conditions?
hPSCs should be adapted to passaging as single cells prior to differentiation. Our protocols have only been tested with StemFit/StemFlex, so we can't guarantee results using other culture conditions.
Why doesn’t Solution D1 dissociate my hPSC culture without scraping?
The concentration of the substrate used to coat the dish/well was likely too high, so Solution D1 treatment requires longer incubation than 10 minutes (up to 20 minutes). Next time, please reduce the concentration of the substrate to 50-70%.
Why are there many aggregates after harvesting hPSCs?
After harvesting hPSCs, cells should not be left in the collection tube for more than 5 minutes. Leaving cells for a longer period may cause the formation of cellular clumps which interferes with infection. Single cells are best for infection.
I was able to harvest more hPSCs than I needed for the kit. Can I replate or freeze the leftover hPSCs to maintain their culture?
No. If you’re following the instructions given in the user guide, the hPSCs will be harvested in a differentiation medium so the leftover hPSCs cannot be maintained.
