Flow Cytometry Resource Center

The Flow Cytometry Resource Center (RRID:SCR_017694) offers researchers with a wide variety of multi-laser/multi-color flow cytometry sorters and analyzers, including spectral flow cytometers.

The FCRC staff provides maintenance of the instruments, assistance with experimental design and troubleshooting, advice on sample preparation, training on the instrument operation as well as individualized instruction and consultation on the data analysis.

Cell sorting is performed either by FCRC staff (BD FACSDiscover S8, Cytek Aurora CS and BD FACSAria) or by trained users (Sony MA900). The BD FACSDiscover S8, as the first spectral flow cytometer sorter with sort-capable image analysis, has five lasers (355, 405, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 78 fluorescence channels and can measure the entire emission spectra of the fluorescent dyes and sort cells based on not only fluorochrome staining but also on cell imaging features. The Cytek Aurora CS is an advanced and adaptable cell sorting system with five lasers (355, 405, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 64 fluorescence channels, built with the power of Cytek’s Innovative Full Spectrum Profiling™ (FSP™) Technology that meets the diverse needs of your laboratory, while delivering the sorting functionality you would expect from a high-end sorter. The three BD FACSAria high-speed conventional cell sorters are equipped with up to six lasers (355, 405, 445, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 18 fluorescence channels detection, while Sony MA900 is also the conventional cell sorter with four lasers (405, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 12 fluorescence channels detection. All the cell sorters are able to perform high-purity sterile sorts into tubes, 96- and 384-well plates, slides or custom devices at flow rate up to 20,000 events/sec.

 

The FCRC is also equipped with six benchtop analyzers, which cover the wide range of researcher’s needs:

  • Two Cytek Aurora, the five laser (355, 405, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 64 fluorescence channels spectral analyzers, have the unique capability of measuring the entire emission spectra of the fluorescent dyes excited by multiple lasers installed on the instrument. The full spectrum capture enables the use of the novel un-mixing algorithms for the further data analysis. Till now up to 43 different fluorescent labels could be resolved at same time, even when multiple markers are co-expressed on the same cell.
  • BD LSR-Fortessa and BD LSRII are equipped with five lasers from the list of 355, 405, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths and 18 fluorescence channels and High Throughput Sampler to accommodate 96-well plates.
  • Agilent NovoCyte Penteon, is equipped with five lasers (355, 405, 488, 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 30 ultimate photodetectors, which provides an expanded set of capabilities that accommodate today’s high-end and increasingly sophisticated multi-color flow cytometry assays with its laboratory automation platforms for FACS tubes (40-tube rack) and 24-, 48-, 96-, and 384-well plates.
  • ThermoFisher Attune NxT is equipped with four lasers (405, 488. 561 and 640 nm excitation wavelengths) and 14 fluorescence channels. Using the unique acoustic focusing feature, the Autosampler enables Attune to run samples tubes or in plate formats, including 96-well, 384-well, and deep-wells with the high volume intake.

After completion of appropriate equipment training, researchers can operate the analyzers by themselves.

 

The FCRC staff offers:

  • Cell sorting on BD FACSAria and Sony MA900
  • Maintenance of all FCRC instruments
  • Consultation on data analysis
  • Consultation (Experimental Design; Sample Preparation Overview and Pre-Sort; Pre-Hands-on)
  • Instrument Hands-on Training (Sony MA900; Cytek Aurora; BD LSRII; BD LSRII HTS; Agilent NovoCyte Penteon; ThermoFisher Attune NxT)
  • Instrument help (Set up or Troubleshooting)
  • Software Training (Troubleshooting)

The mission of Flow Cytometry Resource Center is to offer researchers efficient and reliable flow cytometric services with the highest standards of quality control and productivity.