Facilities

 

Based in Maryland’s I-270 “Tech Corridor” of Frederick and Montgomery Counties, KamTek is equipped with biotech labs and biorepository facility supporting Biomedical/Biotech research and developments. KamTek locations offer easy access to many federal research facilities, university laboratories, teaching institutions, diverse biotechnology communities and life science companies. Local organizations with active relationships with KTI include: different institutes of NIH, FDA, Fort Detrick, National Cancer Institute Frederick, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Maryland, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) Bethesda, Johns Hopkins Medical Center, University of Maryland, Georgetown University, The George Washington University and Montgomery Community College. 

BSL-2 Microbiology Lab (registered with BEI-NIAID resources at ATCC) 

  • Growing Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in small experimental amounts both as liquid cultures in broth medium and in solid phase on agar plates;
  • Rapid identification of bacteria (gram stain);
  • Bacteria identification using selective or differential media;
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (Wadsworth method, broth microdilutions and antibiograms); and in vitro efficacy testing of antimicrobial agents.
The lab is equipped with a Bactron EZ (Shell Labs) anaerobic chamber for handling anaerobic bacteria, with a BSL-2 Class II laminar flow hood for handling aerobic bacteria, an autoclave- reagent and labware sterilizations as well as inactivating live microbes before discarding.
The lab also contains many pieces of basic equipment, including a binocular microscope, spectrophotometer, incubator, pH meter, hot plates, pipettors, water bath, table-top centrifuge, microfuge, refrigerator/freezer, and a Microbalance.
Back up storage of seed cultures obtained from ATCC and the BEI-NIAID program are stored in our biorepository facility. An eye wash station is located inside the Lab.

 

Cell and Tissue Culture Labs

The lab is equipped with a BSL-2 laminar flow hood, CO2 incubator, table-top centrifuges, refrigerator and an inverted, high-power, high-resolution microscope.
The tissue culture lab is set up for
  • Standard blood sample processing followed up by starting primary cultures,
  • EBV transformation of cultures for developing cell lines, other virus infection studies,
  • large scale growth of cell lines for variety of experimental purposes.
  • In vitro Drug cytotoxicity and toxin cytotoxicity assays
  • cell Based assays and diagnostics.
  • The lab is also equipped with a CryoMed™ freezer for large scale cell cryopreservation.

Both BSL-2 labs have controlled access, hand washing sinks and easy access to the autoclaving facility.

Molecular Biology Lab with Pre- and Post PCR facilities 

The facility is organized to ensure one-way traffic for reagents and equipment from the sample preparation lab to the amplification lab:

Pre-PCR Lab
Set up to isolate DNA/RNA and prepare these samples for PCR amplification.
This lab is supplied with a table top microcentrifuge and a refrigerated centrifuge, refrigerator/freezer, a top bench PCR cabinet for the preparation of PCR samples. 
This sample processing Pre-PCR lab houses a Mili Q water purification system as a source of ultrapure water in addition to BSL-2 laminar flow hood, CO2 incubator, table-top centrifuge, refrigerator and an inverted microscope. An eye wash station is located just outside this Pre-PCR lab.
 

For DNA sequencing of the libraries, KTI has collaborated with Montgomery College’s new Bioscience Education Center in Germantown, MD to have access to the Illumina MiSeq DNA sequencing instrumentation and other equipment. All sequencing for KTI projects is done on these instruments. These equipment have been procured through cooperative federal-state government and Private sector funds and hence accessible to local biotech businesses.

Post PCR lab
Set up for Nucleic Acid Amplification, & Hybridizations and other analyses.
The lab is supplied with equipment for PCR amplification and DNA library preparation instruments, including two thermocyclers, a spectrophotometer, NanoDrop DNA/RNA quantitation system, Qubit fluorometer for double stranded DNA quantitation system, Agilent Bioanalyzer for quality control of DNA libraries before placing them in the MiSeq sequencer, cell disruptor, magnetic bead-based DNA library cleanup system, electrophoresis setup, refrigerator and a chemical fume hood.
Immunoassays Unit is also set up in this Lab housing an ELISA workstation with a semi-automatic plate washing system and an ELISA plate reader interfaced with KTI’s computer system for controlled and convenient data entry and analysis.
Other basic equipment includes a Fume Hood with a flammable chemical cabinet underneath, two incubators, a high-speed refrigerated centrifuge, multiple high-speed room temperature centrifuges and other small equipment items.
The major objective and guiding principal of management of this facility is to maintain the biological and identity integrity of bio-specimens in KamTek custody at all costs.
This state-of-the-art cGMP compliant 1000 sq. ft. biorepository facility incorporates 24/7 electronic monitoring consistent with CFR21 Part 11 regulations, to accommodate all bio-repository needs of the company operations as well as of its clients .  
This temperature and humidity controlled facility is able to easily accommodate, safely manage and efficiently store bio-specimens in a variety of cryogenic/mechanical freezers and walk-in freezers/cold rooms.
Currently, the biorepository houses two walk-in cold rooms and two walk-in freezers as well as 100 KTI- and client-owned ultra-low freezers (maintained at -80°C) and 15 liquid nitrogen freezers.
It also contains 5000 sq.ft of Ambient room temperature storage hosting almost 12 million samples.
In addition, a Secure locked isolated room is maintained for dedicated storage of formalin fixed samples at room temperature.
The 24/7 monitored secure facility maintains a temperature-controlled environment by HVAC of sufficient capacity and utilizes 24/7 wireless monitoring of freezer temperature, via the Rees Scientific Centron Monitoring System, as well as room temperature and flooding monitoring systems.
Facility power is backed up 24/7 by a 400 Amp generator with 800+100 gallon diesel fuel supply, and liquid nitrogen is backed up with an on-site 3000-gallon supply tank.
By the same token, there is a second and a third layer of back up for monitoring systems of the facility.