Coordinators: ✉️ Sebastian Diecke (Berlin), ✉️ Micha Drukker (Leiden), and ✉️ Harald Stachelscheid (Berlin)

Back in July 2015, scientists from labs throughout Germany that provide services in the field of PSC research (core facilities) met at the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) to establish a network to promote scientific and technical exchange as well as collaboration. A high degree of standardization and harmonization is required when working with pluripotent stem cells (PSC), especially when the work is directed towards clinical translation.
This has motivated scientists to exchange the techniques and protocols they have developed. The "Stem Cell Cores," facilities at the different institutes, will establish common standards for experiments and exchange knowledge and materials. This will include expertise regarding techniques to reprogram stem cells, stimulate their differentiation, engineer genomes, and characterize cells, and scientists will exchange useful vectors and cell lines.

The main goal of this first meeting was to bring the Stem Cell Core community together and address topics such as the standardization of quality control and methods to confirm the pluripotent state of hiPSCs. Different working groups within the initiative were assigned topics including culture conditions, the characterization of pluripotency, differentiation-potency, quality control, data management and ethics. The groups will elaborate and recommend standards that will facilitate scientific exchange between groups working at different institutes. Another plan is to establish annual workshops of the Core facilities, and organize satellite meetings at the GSCN International Annual Conferences.

The initiative was launched by Micha Drukker (previous Helmholtz Center Munich), Harald Stachelscheid (BIH Stem Cell Core, BCRT) and Sebastian Diecke (BIH Stem Cell Core, MDC) and supported by the Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) and the German Stem Cell Network (GSCN).

BIH News 29.8.2015:  Network of German Pluripotent Cores established

Participants 1st Core Facility Meeting, Berlin, July 2015

After the end of the pandemic it was finally possible for the Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility Network (PluriCore) to meet again in person. During 6^th meeting held in Berlin, Campus Buch on 10/11 of November 2022, the members discussed recent developments in the field. In light of the reproducibility crisis in biomedical research, the focus of the program was on how core labs can contribute to overcome the underlying problems.

The focus was on defining and implementing robust quality standards for research and service labs helping to increase reproducibility of results. The members discussed the currently applied standard techniques in order to identify the most robust and reliable quality control methods. Furthermore, other topics like genome engineering, automation, and improved imaging technologies in combination with artificial intelligence were addressed. Additionally, the PluriCore Network increased the international collaboration by inviting members of the CorEuStem Network with the goal to implement the standards not only in Germany but also internationally. The overarching aim of the network activities is to optimize the translation of biomedical advances from bench to bedside.

For question please contact the coordinators of PluriCore Sebastian Diecke, Harald Stachelscheid and Micha Drukker.

The 5th annual meeting of the Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility Network (PluriCore) took place in Berlin from 7 – 8 November 2019. This year, one focus was on quality control with emphasis on genetic stability and the prevention, detection and control of mycoplasma contamination. Another topic was the production and clinical application of hPSC-derived cells and tissues. The event was enriched by contributions from invited guest speakers who are experts in this field and by the introduction of two new core facilities in the network.

For question please contact the coordinators of PluriCore Sebastian Diecke, Harald Stachelscheid and Micha Drukker.

The fourth annual meeting of the Pluripotent Stem Cell Core Facility Network (PluriCore) took place in Berlin from 15 – 16 November 2018.
During the meeting, 46 participants discussed various topics focusing on gene editing, genomic stability and automation with respect to pluripotent stem cells. The event was enriched by contributions of invited guest speakers who are experts on these topics.
As a future action, the development of a common Open Access iPSC line repository with highly characterized lines from healthy donors has been agreed, which will serve as reference lines for various research projects.

For question please contact the coordinators of PluriCore Sebastian Diecke, Harald Stachelscheid and Micha Drukker.

The PluriCore Partners met for a third national meeting in Jena alongside the GSCN Annual meeting on 10 Sept. in Jena.  They were looking forward to interesting scientific exchange, new technologies and methods as well as meeting colleagues. The meeting is supported by the GSCN and the Berlin Institute of Health.

For question please contact the coordinators of PluriCore Sebastian Diecke, Harald Stachelscheid and Micha Drukker.

After a very successful first meeting in July 2015, the Stem Cell Core Units of the PluriCore network will meet for their second meeting on 19 - 20 May 2016 in Berlin. We are looking forward to interesting scientific exchange, new technologies and methods as well as meeting colleagues. The meeting is supported by the GSCN and the Berlin Institute of Health.

The final program can be found here.

For question please contact the coordinators of PluriCore.