NHGRI/DIR Flow Cytometry Core

National Human Genome Research Institute

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Flow Cytometry Core provides NHGRI researchers access to high-quality flow cytometry services. Flow cytometry can be used to analyze, identify, and isolate subpopulations of cells from mixed populations and to classify cells that may represent less than 0.1% of the total sample. This technology can be used to analyze any cell type as well as many subcellular particles that can be prepared as a single-cell suspension. Multiple parameters on thousands of cells per second can be measured simultaneously, including cell size, cell complexity, and surface and intracellular markers. Current projects include isolation of human neuronal nuclei for gene profile expression studies, many zebrafish hematopoiesis projects as well as active involvement in a variety of applications including the isolation of tissue and blood cell populations for animal transplantation experiments; isolation of cell sub-populations for analyses of functional cellular properties and gene transcription profiles, as well as high throughput screening of enhancer regions. The index-sorting feature available on our sorters enables investigators to sort cells into single wells of plates, and easily identify them on plots, in statistics views, and in a detailed results file. These features allow the rapid isolation and characterization of single cells for use in single cell RNA-seq. The Core is equipped with one BD FACS ARIA Fusion enclosed in a biosafety cabinet - five laser, 21 color instrument, one BDFACSAria; one SONY SH800 chip based benchtop sorter in a biosafety cabinet capable of six color analysis one thirteen color Beckman Coulter CyotFLEX S analyzer, one 21 color Beckman Coulter CytoFLEX LX analyzer; a Miltenyi Auto MACS for magnetic cell separation and a HESKA HT5 for murine CBC/Differential analysis. Core personnel are available for training, development, and project execution. The Flow Cytometry Core is currently staffed by Stacie Anderson (Core Director,100% effort, GMBB), and Martha Kirby (Associate Director, 100% effort, GMBB). These investigators run the sorters, maintain the analyzers and other equipment and provide expert advice on design and execution of experiments.