INTERFACE STANDARDS FOR FLOW CYTOMETRY INSTRUMENTATION

Los Alamos Nat Secty-Los Alamos Nat Lab, Los Alamos NM

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Abstract

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. We will be collaborating with De Novo Software in order to develop a standard for interfacing flow cytometry instruments to data analysis software. The ultimate goal of this new standard will be to allow any instrument to be used with any analysis software as long as both are compatible with the standard. In some ways this is an extension of the FCS data standard but instead of compatibility at the file level, there is compatibility at the acquisition level. The development of such a standard would benefit the resource because any instrumentation or data analysis software we develop could be immediately used with commercial systems. This will make it cheaper and faster for the NFCR to develop hardware or software, give our collaborators an easier path to incorporate our hardware or software, and speed the commercial adoption of any new technologies we develop. The collaboration will require us to contribute to the definition and specifications for the standard, and to work closely with De Novo Software to implement a working version of the standard. We will adapt one of our instruments and De Novo will adapt a version of their software to work together using the standard. This working implementation will be used to refine and demonstrate the specification. We expect other commercial companies will get involved once the standard matures. We believe the participation of the NFCR in the creation and adoption of this standard is important to its success, both because of the exposure and expertise that we bring.