About the Authors

Oeygunn Utheim

utheim2@gmail.com

Affiliations Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Rakibul Islam

Affiliations Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Torstein Lyberg

Affiliation Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Borghild Roald

Affiliation Department of Pathology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Jon Roger Eidet

Affiliation Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

Maria Fideliz de la Paz

Affiliation Institut Universitari Barraquer, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Darlene A. Dartt

Affiliation Schepens Eye Research Institute / Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America

Sten Raeder

Affiliation The Norwegian Dry Eye Clinic, Oslo/Tromsoe, Norway

Tor Paaske Utheim

Affiliations Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, Department of Ophthalmology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Competing Interests

JRE and TPU have filed the following patent applications on storage media for cultured epithelial cells: (1) Application number 1403621.4, title “Retinal Pigment Epithelium cell storage medium” and (2) application number 1403622.2, title “Mammalian cell storage medium”. Authors SR and TPU have an additional patent application regarding transplant storage: (3) Application number 20110281352, title “A kit for storing cells or tissues” This does not alter the authors’ adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Author Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: TL BR DAD SR TPU. Performed the experiments: OAU TPU RI JRE MFP. Analyzed the data: OAU JRE SR TPU. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: MFP. Wrote the paper: OAU RI TL BR JRE MFP DAD SR TPU.