The goals of the Skin Translational Research Core (STaR) are to facilitate basic and translational research in skin biology through provision of human skin samples and products. This includes discarded, deidentified normal and diseased skin, primary human skin cells, engineered organotypic skin culture support, and xenograft studies in mice. The core provides the IRB approvals for the procurement of these tissues.
Important Note:Specialized patient consent processes are necessary for studies that fall under the Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy, this includes all single cell analysis. If the GDS policy applies to your work, contact the the SBDRC at SBDRRC@pennmedicine.upenn.edu before the start of your study to ensure that you are using properly consented tissues. It is the responsibility of the investigatorto ensure the use of all SBDRC-provided materials and services are in compliance with the GDS and other applicable NIH policies.
STaR Core Service updates
To improve consistency, efficiency, and scalability of our cell culture services, effective August 1, 2026 we are changing how keratinocytes are distributed. This standardized workflow provides investigators with earlier-passage, less-manipulated cells while reducing variability introduced by customized expansion and plating requests. For more details, please review Keratinocyte Service Changes.
STaR Core Pricing
To continue promote access to critical research resources, the SBDRC is not increasing prices for the 2007 Fiscal Year. Updated service lists with pricing information can be found below:
Primary human keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblast cultures are initiated from neonatal foreskins weekly and are distributed in flasks or 10cm dishes. Cell culture media should be purchased by the user; please contact us and we will give you the appropriate ordering information. If your media usage is low or intermittent, you can purchase a bottle for the core and then we can give you back fresh aliquots each time as needed with advance notice. Cell and media orders must be received by Friday at 12 pm for plating and distribution the following week. Pick up is from the incubator outside 1062 BRB. Contact Chris Marshall (marshal2@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) for specific questions regarding cell orders or pick up.
We offer training on how to initiate primary human keratinocyte, melanocyte, and fibroblast cultures from neonatal foreskin (that we provide) or mouse keratinocyte cultures from neonatal mice (that you provide). We recommend that all trainees should have experience in general cell culture aseptic techniques prior to scheduling training.
For human keratinocyte training, a typical schedule would be Monday-Monday, available on most weeks of the year. For mouse training, you must contact us before you start breeding so that we can plan a schedule for culture initiation. You will need IACUC approval for harvesting of mouse keratinocytes, which is covered under a 'tissue harvest' procedure on IACUC protocols.
Please contact Chris Marshall (marshal2@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) with questions.
The STaR core provides fresh normal human adult skin, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma samples (freshly obtained from surgical procedures). These are available most weeks for pickup in the afternoon-evening. We provide neonatal foreskins for pickup Tuesday to Friday for pickup between 12 pm - 5 pm. For questions on this service please contact Donna Brennan-Crispi, PhD (dbrenn@pennmedicine.upenn.edu).
Human skin xenografts on immunodeficient mice
Neonatal foreskin or adult human skin xenografts on immunodeficient mice are one of the few methods to allow study of human skin in vivo. The core provides xenograft services for skin and chamber graft models. Grafts take 3-8 weeks to mature depending on the application and strain of mouse used. Consultations are required before requesting xenograft services to review the experimental design and regulatory details of your project. For questions on this service, please contact Arben Nace, DVM (arben@pennmedicine.upenn.edu).
We provide technical consultation, protocol support, and training for genetic engineering of organotypic skin cultures for in vitro studies. Devitalized dermis for organotypic cultures is also available through the core. For questions on services, please contact Sixia Huang, PhD (sixia@pennmedicine.upenn.edu).
COMING SOON
Primary human skin cells
Primary skin cell culture training
Fresh normal and diseased human skin
Human skin xenografts on immunodeficient mice
Organotypic skin engineering/xenografts
Penn Derm BioBank - COMING SOON
Pricing
Service
Rate
Passaging fee- 24 well
$13.44
Passaging fee- 12 well
$13.44
Passaging fee- 12 well w/coverslips
$16.21
Passaging fee- 6 well
$13.44
Passaging fee- 6 well w/coverslips
$16.21
Passaging fee- T75
$13.84
Passaging fee- T25
$13.17
Passaging fee- 10cm
$13.84
Passaging fee- 6cm
$13.17
Passaging fee- 3.5cm
$12.84
Passaging fee- 2 chamber slide
$13.84
Passaging fee- 8 chamber slide
$13.84
Passaging fee- 2 chamber coverglass
$13.84
Primary skin cell culture initiation fee (per every 5 dishes)
$71.72
50 mL media for primary mouse skin cell culture
$26.35
50 mL media for primary human skin cell culture
$26.35
Primary human skin cell culture training
$329.18
Primary mouse skin cell culture derivation and training
$513.59
Normal human skin handling fee (avg specimen size 2 cm2)
$76.37
Normal human dermis
$50.00
Skin handling fee, basal cell, squamous cell
$76.37
Diseased human skin study planning
$236.83
Punch Biopsy Procedure
$112.43
Genetic engineering of primary skin cells (includes one genetic modification)
$118.42
Genetic engineering of primary skin cells (each additional genetic modification)
$23.68
T75 dish of 293T cells ready for lentiviral transduction
$14.50
T150 dish of 293T cells ready for lentiviral transduction
$15.04
Procurement of immunodeficient mouse
$90.00
Daily mouse housing fee
$0.92
Placement of normal human skin xenograft on an immunodeficient mouse
$100.59
Establishing genetically-engineered keratinocytes and fibroblasts in 3-D culture
$134.55
Establishing genetically-engineered keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblasts in 3-D culture
$134.55
Grafting engineered skin tissues onto an immunodeficient mouse
