Cell line authentication: a commercial service provider perspective

Cell line misidentification and cross contamination continue to undermine research quality despite improved laboratory practices. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) profiling remains the primary method for human cell line authentication and is increasingly required by journals, funders, and regulatory bodies. Analysis of authentication data generated at NorthGene™ in 2024-2025 demonstrates that misidentification and contamination remain prevalent, with 4.7% of lines misidentified and 1.8% contaminated in 2024, and 2.4% misidentified with 1.6% contaminated in 2025. Primary cell lines present additional challenges, as none submitted during this period met ASN 0002 standards for full traceability, posing risks to reproducibility and downstream biological interpretation. Mixture analysis proved essential for resolving inconclusive STR results and identifying specific contaminants, although progress is hindered when reference STR profiles are not publicly available. While STR profiling is highly discriminatory for human cells, complementary methods-such as species specific PCR and CO1 barcoding-may be required to detect interspecies contamination or authenticate non human lines. Overall, these findings highlight the ongoing need for rigorous authentication workflows and complete traceability to ensure scientific integrity and prevent invalid research outcomes.