BetaCell Birmingham
BetaCell Birmingham is an academic facility at the University of Birmingham, dedicated to providing human stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells to UK researchers on a collaborative basis.
Using a protocol developed by the Timo Otonkoski Lab, building on pioneering work from the Doug Melton and Timothy Kieffer labs, we guide stem cells through developmental stages to produce insulin-secreting beta-like cell clusters (SBCs or SC-islets). Our optimized process yields glucose-responsive clusters, with ~50% of the cells being C-peptide positive. The protocol spans ~40 days, with two additional weeks for stem cell preparation. Cells are shipped live via same-day delivery to ensure their integrity and viability.
Innovations in 3D Organoid Culture
BetaCell Birmingham has also developed an end-to-end 3D organoid culture protocol for researchers requiring higher volumes of cells, such as for high-throughput screening. This approach generates glucose-responsive clusters with ~50% GFP-positive cells (insulin promoter-driven GFP), of which >30% are C-peptide positive and glucagon negative.
We are particularly looking to collaborate with:
- Bioengineers and immunologists interested in advancing cell replacement therapies for T1D
- Researchers seeking alternatives to animal models who want to reduce their reliance on in vivo studies without compromising research quality
Operating within the Technology Hub at the University of Birmingham’s College of Medicine and Health, we are committed to providing these cells at cost to support UK diabetes research.
At BetaCell Birmingham, we provide high-quality live shipments of stem cell-generated beta cells (SBCs) that meet rigorous quality control standards, verified through flow cytometry.
Our INS-GFP lines begin expressing GFP at Stage 5 (endocrine progenitor phase), with expression becoming prominent by Stage 6 (early endocrine, immature SBCs). The cells reach full maturity by day 38 (Stage 7, week 2).
Shipment options
- Day 30: Immature SBCs with 40-50% GFP-positive cells, ideal for developmental studies.
- Day 38: Fully mature insulin-secreting cells, ready for functional research.
We guarantee a minimum of 35% GFP-positive cells, with Hes3 cell lines consistently achieving 40-50% GFP-positive yields, ensuring reliability and consistency for your research.
In addition to SBCs, we offer a range of complementary research materials:
RNA, DNA, and fixed tissue samples
These additional resources can enhance and support your studies.
For further information or specific requests, don't hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re here to help advance your research!
Quality Control Analysis
This figure compares the Otonkoski Protocol, which transitions cells from 2D to 3D differentiation, with our modified protocol designed for end-to-end 3D production. In both approaches, the cells progress through key developmental stages: Stage 1 (endoderm), Stage 4 (pancreatic progenitors), and Stage 7, Week 2 (mature, glucose-responsive SC-islets).
Quality control (QC) testing assesses glucose responsiveness, defined as a greater than fourfold increase in insulin secretion when cells are exposed to high glucose (16 mM) compared to low glucose (1-2 mM).
For 2D > 3D productions, our starting material is stem cells in a 10 cm dish, which yields around 15-25M cells at day 38 (please see “what we offer”)
For a complete 3D production cycle, we utilize 30 ml ABLE bioreactors. Each bioreactor is designed to accommodate a cell range of 15 million to 45 million cells. We offer the flexibility of shipping either the entire 30 ml production or, when available, a fraction of the production to meet your specific research needs.
Finally, thanks to our recent NC3R infrastructure grant, we will be able to move our production to an Eppendorf DasBOX custom-built bioreactor, which enables 4x 250 ml chambers each with a capacity of 10-15M cells/ml. The bioreactor is expected to be operational by June 2025.
The cells derived from this protocol have undergone characterization Diego Balboa et al (Otonkoski Lab), with detailed information available through the provided links (see Protocol Repository).
In our laboratory, we observe that the cells progress to the endoderm stage by day 3, with over 90% of cells exhibiting SOX17 and FOXA2 positivity. In insulin promoter driven GFP (INS-GFP) lines, the cells commence GFP expression by stage 5 (endocrine progenitor), which becomes prominent by stage 6 (early endocrine, immature SBC). The cells reach their full maturity by day38 (Stage7, week2). Our standard days for shipment are from day30, coinciding with 40-50% GFP positive cells, or day 38, marking the completion of our protocol with mature insulin-secreting cells. Please note that the recipient needs to be able to culture the cells upon receipt and that we provide training for this.
Should your research require samples or shipments earlier than these specified dates, we encourage you to contact us to discuss potential accommodations and options.
We are able to produce SBCs from two human embryonic cell lines (Mel3 and Hes3, originally generated by Ed Stanley), which sport insulin promoter driven GFP. If you require cells from other lines, please inquire. Please note that when using other stem cell lines, the protocol may need optimization.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of publications that have developed the protocol used by our facility
Original protocols (selected)
Based on
How to Receive SBCs, Pricing and Contact Information
We are always working on determining the most affordable pricing for our stem cell-generated beta cells (SBCs), we invite you to reach out to us for a customized quote tailored to your specific research needs. Please note that BCB is an academic facility and only honours collaborative projects.
For all inquiries, please contact our dedicated mailbox at:
BetaCell Birmingham Mailbox: bcb@contacts.bham.ac.uk
In order to better assist you, we kindly request that you provide us with a rough estimate of the number of cells/clusters required per shipment, as well as an indication of the frequency of shipments per year.
Should you wish to discuss your projects or have more detailed inquiries, feel free to get in touch with our academic lead directly:
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to assisting you with your research endeavours.