Cellular and Tissue Based cGMP Facility

Phone: 773-702-4237

University of Chicago
Kovler Viral Oncology Laboratories
Room 007
910 E. 58th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

The Cellular and Tissue-Based Processing cGMP Facility is located in the Kovler Laboratory building. The faculty director is Amittha Wickrema, Ph.D. Diane Ostrega, M.S., M.B.A, has served as the Technical Director since the facility’s inception in 2001. They have over 45 years’ combined experience in clinical and basic and translational research. The facility is staffed by a small core group of technologists trained to carryout cell processing and quality functions for investigator initiated and pharma sponsored studies. The mission of the facility is to provide a laboratory environment as well as resources and consultative services for preparing cellular and biological products suitable for infusion into patients. The facility is FDA registered and follows regulations consistent with FDA guidance documents for manufacture and handling of 351 and 361 cellular therapy products. The facility is furnished with positive and negative pressure clean rooms, Biological Safety Cabinets, instrumentation for cell isolation, high-speed cell sorting, cryopreservation and assay and endotoxin analysis. The facility is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP). The core may be identified in publications as The University of Chicago Cellular and Tissue Based cGMP Facility (RRID: SCR_ 019201).