Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub

Central Core unit

Unit Coordinator:
David Oyoo Ezra, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Laboratory / Research Technologists:
Manasseh Mwaura, Paul Onyango, Samuel Njoroge Kamau

General Service Staff:
Francis Gatehi, Leah Ragoi, Michael Ominde, Samuel Kiarie, Winnie Muoka, Mary Odiyo

The Central Core Unit was established as a centralized facility for the production of cell culture media, general buffers and pure water, and to provide glassware wash and sterilisation services. Most of our customers are within the BecA Hub, but we also provide services to partners within and around Nairobi.

Our current services include:

Glassware washing.
Autoclaving and baking glassware for sterilization.
Sterilization services.
Stocks of all types of sterile glassware available.
Provision of sterile Milli–Q Grade water.
Preparation of cell culture media and buffers.
Custom media and buffer services.
Laboratory waste management.
Laboratory cleaning.

Central Core unit services
The Central Core unit provides the following services to researchers at the BecA Hub:

Glassware services:
The Central Core collects used glassware from laboratories at the BecA Hub, and washes and sterilises the glassware. We also maintain a stock of all types of sterile laboratory glassware and pipettes.

All glassware is either steam sterilized or dry heat baked according to requirements. Biological indicators and steam strips are used for each autoclave load. All glassware is carefully inspected prior to stocking in the Central Core glassware storage area.

Media & Buffers:
The Central Core provides economically priced, high quality media and buffers. Our media preparation laboratory is equipped with two laminar flow hoods, a Millipore Elix 5 water purification system, and cold temperature (+4°C) storage areas.

Media and buffers are prepared in 1 to 100 litre batches using high quality reagents from Sigma – Aldrich. The Central Core produces agar plates, LB broth, various cell culture media, antibiotic solutions, buffers and balanced salt solutions.

All our products are prepared with 18 megohm-cm water purified by a Milli–Q water system.

Quality control consists of strict record keeping during the preparation of each batch of media, pH and osmolarity measurements, and routine inspection of sterilisation filters.

Filters used for media sterilization are composed of a prefilter plus a bi-layer of Millipore filters (0.22 plus 0.45 micron filters).

Sterility of all media is checked by incubating samples at room temperature and at 37°C for 14 days.

Media / Buffer price list:

Item	Package size	Unit cost (US$)
Alsever's Solution	500 ml	3.80
Sterile Milli Q Water	1 Litre	1.20
Sterile Milli Q Water	100 ml	0.70
Sterile Milli Q Water	20 Litres	12.40
Dulbecco’s PBS	1 Litre	4.40
Tris Ammonium Chloride	100 ml	4.40
Trypsin EDT	100 ml	43.40
Tris – EDTA buffer	100 ml	2.80
2XYT Broth	500 ml	14.70
2XYT Broth	50 ml	5.20
2XYT H Plates	100 ×150 mm	5.60
Dulbecco’s MEM	500 ml	13.50
Eagle’s MEM + Hanks	500 ml	16.30
Hanks Bss (10×)	100 ml	8.60
Iscoves	500 ml	24.20
1N Hydrochloric acid	100 ml	3.80
IPL 41	500 ml	9.00
PSG Rat	1 Litre	4.60
RPMI 1640 + Hepes	500 ml	15.70
RPMI 1640	500 ml	14.50
L – Broth	50 ml	5.20
NZYCM + Amp	150 × 15 mm	4.40
NZYCM + Amp	100 × 15 mm	3.60
L – 15 Medium	500 ml	39.70
Gentamicyn Sulphate	6 ml	4.30
Pen Strep	6 ml	1.20
L – Glutamine	6 ml	1.20
Normal Saline	1 Litre	3.90
Sodium Hydroxide	100 ml	3.90
TBE (10×)	10 Litres	552.10
TC 100	500 ml	6.70
Sodium Pyruvate	100 ml	3.90
PSG Mouse	1 Litre	4.90
RNAzol	50 ml	69.90
Tryptose Phosphate Broth	500 ml	4.30
Agar Powder	15 g	10.30
Dry Ice	1 Kg	3.10
Blood Agar Plates	150 × 15 mm	5.60

For special (custom) orders, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it the Unit Coordinator, David Oyoo Ezra.

Laboratory waste disposal:
The Central Core unit is responsible for collecting and disposing of waste from all general laboratories and the BSL2 laboratory.

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Central Core Unit Brochure

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Site last modified:
Thu, 22 July 2010,
04:38:50 AM

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