FLOW CYTOMETRY AND CELL SORTING

OUR HISTORY 

Detection of 

Setting Up UEA Flow Cytometry Services

Dr Darren W Sexton, a cellular immunologist within the BioMedical Research Centre and LTN Business Fellow, together with Geoff Carruth and Dr Ailsa Harpur of the UEA's Research Enterprise and Engagement Office, successfully bid for the inaugural East of England Development Agency's (EEDA) Capital Investment for Life Sciences Competition. The award enabled the acquisition of the high specification cell sorter, the BD FACSAria II, which is at the heart of the service. To facilitate the running of the facility the Schools of Biological Sciences and Medicine jointly funded a Flow Cytometry Technician, Dr Andy Goldson. The facility continues to burgeon with further investment permitting the purchase of a BD Accuri C6 Flow cytometer.

Flow Cytometry Services offered bespoke flow cytometric sample analysis for the business and research communities.

SERVICES:

  • Cell sorting
  • Cell cycle analysis
  • Apoptosis analysis
  • Multicolour analysis
  • Functional analysis
  • Stem Cell analysis

ASSESSMENT OF:

  • New medicine efficacy
  • New delivery mechanisms (nanotechnology)
  • Product validation
  • Testing of health claims

INDUSTRY SECTORS:

  • Food and drink
  • Nutraceuticals
  • Human, animal and plant biotechnology
  • Healthcare technology (e.g infection control)
  • Emerging stem cell applications
  • Nanotechnology applications

 

Equipment

We use the BD Accuri C6 and a BD FACS Aria II SORP. 

Phagocytosis Detection

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H Ficolin binding to the type II alveolar adenocarcinoma cell line, A549. 

Ficolin binding

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The BD Accuri C6

 

Cell Sorting

The BD FACS ARIA II SORP allows us to identify cells from complex samples and sort those cells of interest. Large cell numbers can be attained for down stream culture or experimentation. Advancements in single cell genetic technologies also means that accurate, repeatable single cell sorting is at the forefront of scientific advancement once again. With collaborators from Oxford University and Fluidigm Ltd we published a Nature Biotechnology paper demonstrating how single-cell analyses provide insights into the mechanistic and network effects of genetic variability, with improved statistical power to model these effects on gene expression.

Immunomagnetic Cell Sorting

We possess the capacity to isolate cells by positive and negative selection. We label cells with antibodies conjugated to beads and pass the cells through powerful magnetic fields.  We have magnets from the following companies:

  • Miltenyi Ltd
  • Stem Cell Technologies Ltd
  • Dynal (Invitrogen Ltd)

Flow Cytometry Resources

Books:

1. Flow Cytometry - A Basic Introduction. Michael G Ormerod http://flowbook.denovosoftware.com

2. Practical Flow Cytometry. Howard M Shapiro. http://www.beckmancoulter.com/wsrportal/wsr/research-and-discovery/products-and-services/flow-cytometry/practical-flow-cytometry/index.htm 

 

 

Tutorials and Introductory Materials:

1. https://www.beckmancoulter.com/wsrportal/wsr/support/training-education/diagnostics-webinars-conferences/index.htm 

2. http://www.lifetechnologies.com/uk/en/home/support/tutorials.html 

3. http://www.abdserotec.com/introduction-to-flow-cytometry.html 

4. http://www.d.umn.edu/~biomed/flowcytometry/introflowcytometry.pdf 

5. https://www.bdbiosciences.com/services/training/itf_launch.jsp 

 

 

Tools (Spectral Viewers):

1. http://www.lifetechnologies.com/uk/en/home/life-science/cell-analysis/labeling-chemistry/fluorescence-spectraviewer.html 

2. http://www.bdbiosciences.com/ca/research/multicolor/spectrum_viewer/index.jsp 

3. http://www.biolegend.com/spectraanalyzer 

4. http://eu.ebioscience.com/resources/fluorplan-spectra-viewer.htm