CLEVELAND, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ChanTest Corporation, a contract research organization (CRO) that supports drug safety and discovery research, has enlarged its capacity for providing cellular and molecular services and reagents.  At the ChanTest headquarters in Cleveland, OH, the company has expanded its physical footprint by more than 50%.

Top notch cell and molecular biology remain a priority for ChanTest, "The Ion Channel Expert." The laboratory expansion reflects the importance of providing high quality cell lines and cellular reagents for drug research.  ChanTest scientists use the cells grown in the new facility for ion channel services and products, and for external clients outsourcing cell and molecular work to ChanTest.  Examples include standard cell culture services and highly technical custom cell line development projects.

ChanTest's Director of Cell & Molecular Biology, Luke Armstrong, Ph.D., sees the expansion as an important step for continued growth at ChanTest.  "Our cell and molecular biology service business nearly doubled in 2013 and we expect another year of strong growth in 2014," said Dr. Armstrong.  "The expansion helps ChanTest keep up with the growing needs of our clients."

Founder, President and CEO of ChanTest, Arthur "Buzz" Brown, M.D., Ph.D. added, "ChanTest offers the highest quality services and reagents in drug safety and discovery research related to ion channels.  Expanding into the new facility at the end of 2013 helps ChanTest keep up this long standing culture of quality."

The new space at ChanTest is fully operational and used for the following:

• State-of-the-art cell culture labs
• Capacity for adherent cell scale-up of 10 billion cells
• Controlled rate freezer capable of cryopreserving 600 vials of cells
• Capability for membrane preparations of up to 2 grams of protein
• Large-scale electroporator capable of generating 3 billion transfected cells
• Flow sorter (FACSAria™)
• Dedicated molecular biology lab
• Radioisotope lab (completion in March 2014)

About ChanTest® - The Ion Channel Expert
ChanTest has developed the world's most complete library of validated human ion channel-expressing cell lines to serve all the ion channel needs of its pharmaceutical and biotech customers. Services range from early functional screens for profiling drug candidates or ranking within profiles during the drug-discovery process – to a complete set of in vitro GLP service products for cardiac risk assessment. ChanTest works in partnership with customers to speed up the drug development process, to save time and money, and ultimately – to help make better, safer drugs.

Visit http://www.chantest.com to learn more about what we do.

ChanTest Contact:
Chris Mathes, Ph.D., M.B.A.
Chief Commercial Officer
+1-216-584-0522
cmathes@chantest.com

SOURCE ChanTest Corp.