Equipment
The principal assets of the core consist of an analytic instrument (one BD Fortessa X-20 SORP) and one sorting instrument (BD AriaFusion SORP).
Sorting: The sorting facilities of the core are housed in one dedicated room. The BD FACS AriaFusion is a flexible and highly adaptable bench top sorter. It contains five fixed-aligned, air-cooled lasers: red (637nm), green (532nm), blue (488nm) and violet (405nm) and UV (355nm). In its present configuration, the sorter is capable of performing 20 parameters (forward and side scatter plus eighteen color flow cytometry). The Aria Fusion has an increased sensitivity and flexibility due to the patented octagon pathways that maximize signal detection from each laser illuminated beam spot.
These instruments are equipped with temperature-controlled chambers and have the ability to sort single cells into 96 well plates. This instrument is located in a Class II A2 Biosafety Cabinet to allow for BSL-2+ research activities. These instruments are operated by qualified individuals on a pre-scheduled basis.
Analyzer: The core contains one BD Fortessa X-20 SORP analytic instrument. The Fortessa is a flexible and highly adaptable bench top analyzer. It contains five fixed-aligned, air-cooled lasers: red (637nm), green (532nm), blue (488nm) and violet (405nm) and UV (355nm). In its present configuration, the analyzer is capable of performing twenty parameters (forward and side scatter plus eighteen color flow cytometry). The Fortessa has an increased sensitivity and flexibility due to the polygonal optical pathways maximize signal detection from each laser illuminated beam spot.
It can yield more information from each sample and rare event analysis is more accurate and efficient because of the increased flow rate and the digital acquisition system. The Fortessa is equipped with an HTS unit that allows acquisition of samples automatically from 96 and 384 well plates. Additionally, it is also equipped with BD FACS flow supply systems to automate fluid handling. The core provides training to individuals of the institute so they are able to operate these instruments unassisted by core staff.
Fluorofinder is an excellent web site for initiating panel design and finding antibodies. The core will have a configuration up that user will be able to access to better enable them to design multi-parametric panels that will work with the instruments found in the NSU Flow Core.
Spectral Viewers are web based tools can be used to determine where a fluorescent tag will fall as far as Absorbance and Emission relative to laser and filters.