A resource for cell line authentication, annotation and quality control

It has been long known that many cultured cell lines, an essential tool not only in biological research but also other areas of science, are contaminated, mislabelled or incorrectly annotated; here an analysis covering over 3,500 cell lines and their unambiguous authentication and annotation offers the community a reference point for both STR and SNP profiles as genetic methods of cell authentication, combined with suggested standards for nomenclature using a controlled vocabulary.