MRI: Acquisition of MoFlo XDP FACS Sorter

University Of Texas At El Paso, El Paso TX

Investigators

Abstract

An award is made to The University of Texas at El Paso to acquire a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS), a shared instrument to facilitate education and research in the region. The FACS instrument will support a diverse range of research and teaching applications across multiple disciplines in the natural sciences. The FACS instrument will be used to identify, isolate and purify multiple cell types and cell components. These FACS-purified samples will further the research programs of at least 23 faculty that seek to understand plant and animal development, microbial infectivity, environmental microbial metabolism as well as the mechanisms behind immune and cancer cell function and development, mechanisms of disease progression, ecological communities, and subcellular components ultimately benefiting our region and the public in general. This instrument will provide access to state-of-the-art FACS instrumentation to the next generation of scientists through incorporation into science curriculum and new course development. Experiments using FACS will be employed in undergraduate teaching laboratories, bringing this advanced technology to ~400 students annually in the fields of cell biology, microbiology and molecular genetics. FACS techniques will also be introduced to graduate students for incorporation into their research projects. Placement of the FACS instrument in the Cytometry, Screening and Imaging Core Facility will facilitate management of use by multiple faculty and students. Cell sorting capabilities will facilitate recruitment, cancer development retention, collaboration, and training of both students and research faculty in the STEM disciplines and introduce this sophisticated technology to the region.