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NISTCHO is a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell line that has been genetically engineered to produce the monoclonal antibody cNISTmAb. This study investigates the stability of the NISTCHO cell line in long-term culture. Low passage number NISTCHO cells from a working cell bank were used to initiate a shake flask culture that was passaged over many weeks, accounting for approximately 129 cell doublings. Cells taken at two-week intervals during this period were used to inoculate fresh cultures, which were monitored over nine days for viable cell concentration, percent viability, and monoclonal antibody production. Results demonstrate consistency among growth curves over time with comparable peak cell densities and cell viabilities. Importantly, cNISTmAb production remained high, with culture titers remaining stable over the culture period and a high number of cell doublings. These findings demonstrate that the NISTCHO cell line has high stability and a sustained capability of producing cNISTmAb over extended culture periods. 

The NISTCHO cell line is a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cell line engineered to produce cNISTmAb, a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the fusion F glycoprotein on the surface of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). These cells are invaluable as a standard reference material for developers of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and serve as an educational resource in biomanufacturing training programs. This study investigates the performance of NISTCHO cells following cryopreservation at temperatures of -80°C and -150°C. Initial cell viability, maximum cell density in culture, and monoclonal antibody production were compared for cells cryopreserved for up to 30 weeks. Cells were thawed and cultured at two-week intervals to monitor their growth behavior, peak cell densities, and antibody production levels. Analysis of cell behavior in culture revealed no significant differences in cell growth or cell production between cells stored at -80°C and those stored at -150°C. These findings affirm that NISTCHO cells can be preserved at -80°C for up to 30 weeks without any adverse effects on their growth or monoclonal antibody production capabilities, an important finding for training and education programs that rely on -80° C freezers to store cell banks. 

Life science organizations are increasingly using hackathons to bring communities together to tackle shared problems, teach skills, and develop new resources. In this study, we explored the potential benefits of hackathons for the biotechnology workforce education community by organizing two hackathons centered around developing research projects in antibody engineering—a practice widely employed in the biotechnology industry but uncommon in biotechnology education. To integrate antibody engineering into courses, instructors need protocols for both computational and laboratory methods. Developing and testing these protocols provides rich opportunities for undergraduate research, allowing students to learn industry-relevant skills and contribute to creating materials for the community. During the hackathons, teams of faculty, students, and industry partners collaborated to generate several new research projects. Each hackathon was only a few days, yet student participants reported benefits similar to those attributed to traditional undergraduate research experiences. We share lessons learned from these hackathons and provide insights for the workforce education community for hosting similar events.