The Flow Cytometry Core Facility is headed by Dr Reiner Schulte and provides state-of-the-art flow cytometry services, which consists of expert advice for experimental design, individual instrument training, and data analysis. The facility performs cell sorting for researchers to isolate cell populations needed for further studies.
For any enquiries, please contact Dr Reiner Schulte rs758@cam.ac.uk
Cell Sorters
Bigfoot Spectral Cell Sorter (Thermofisher)
The CIMR flow facility houses a Bigfoot spectral cell sorter (funded by a BBSRC grant) equipped with seven lasers (349nm, 405nm, 445nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm and 785nm), 60 fluorescence and small particle detectors. It is capable of carrying out spectral and conventional flow cytometry and can sort up to six populations simultaneously.
The Bigfoot can be run with a variety of nozzle sizes and allows sorting of clinical samples.
Plate sorting on the Bigfoot is very quick due to the capability to sort multiple streams into a plate. It can also perform bulk sorting into multiple types of collection tubes at the same time, and sorting into 10x plates.
High speed Influx Cell Sorters (BD Biosciences)
Two Influx cell sorter have five lasers (355nm, 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, and 640nm) and are equipped with up to 14 fluorescence and small particle detectors.
Two Influx cell sorter have four lasers (405nm, 488nm, 561nm, and 640nm) and are equipped with up to 16 fluorescence and small particle detectors.
Two Influx cell sorter are housed in biosafety cabinets to allow sorting of clinical samples.
All Influx cell sorters can be used with different nozzle sizes (70µm, 86µm, 100µm or 130µm) and allow up to 6-way sorting into 1.5 mL tubes, up to four ways into 5 mL tubes and sorting into 96-well plates. Index sorting is also available.
Melody cell sorter (BD Bioscience)
The facility operates a three laser (405nm, 488nm, 561nm) BD Melody sorter equipped with eight fluorescence detectors. This instrument is housed in a biosafety cabinet to allow sorting of clinical samples.
The Melody cell sorter operates with a 100µm nozzle and can separate up to four cell populations simultaneously. Scientists can use this cell sorter independently and it is available 24/7 for sorting.
Flow Cytometry Analysers
LSRFortessas (BD Bioscience)
Two LSRFortessas (355nm, 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, and 640nm) are able to detect 18 colours and both have the option to operate a high throughput plate reader.
Attune NxT (Thermofisher)
The Attune NxT (405nm, 488nm, and 561nm) uses acoustic-assisted hydrodynamic focusing and is able to detect 11 colours. A high throughput plate reader is attached to this instrument.
