EMD Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, today announced a new initiative with Sistemic, a leading provider of microRNA-based problem-solving services and kit-based products.

The two companies are jointly developing a proprietary monitoring methodology utilizing Sistemic's microRNA marker detection capability to enable consistent growth of stem cells in EMD Millipore's Mobius CellReady platform. These markers could also be incorporated into a commercially-available kit for quality control of stem cells in culture.

"To advance the progress of stem cell products toward clinical use, it is critical to ensure the consistency and quality of large-scale culture systems," said Robert Shaw, Commercial Director of EMD Millipore's Stem Cell Initiative.

This announcement was made at the Second Annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa, of which Sistemic and EMD Millipore are co-sponsors, October 29-31 in La Jolla, California.