University of Rochester Medical Center - Flow Cytometry Core

Both cell sorters are housed in dedicated laboratories and contained within Baker Bio-Protect biosafety hoods and equipped with Aerosol Management Containment systems to allow for BSL-2 and BSL-2+ cell sorting. These systems can do two- and four- way sorting, as well as single cell sorting into 96-well plates using the Automated Cell Deposition System. The cell sorters are operated by FCC staff, and operate from 10 am – 9 pm (M-T) and 10 am -6 pm on Friday.

In addition to standard flow cytometry, the FCC is equipped with a 4-laser, 12-channel Amnis ImageStream X imaging flow cytometer. This tool allows researchers to capture multispectral images of cells at rates of up to 5,000 cells a minute through 10 fluorescent channels and 2 brightfield channels. The system allows for novel applications such as internalization, co-localization, translocation assays. The system is also equipped with a 96 well autosampler for high throughput screening assays.

In 2012, the FCC installed a DVS CyTOF mass cytometer. This new technology involves using and ICP-MS Time of Flight detection system to measure cells labeled with stable isotopes of heavy metals. At the present time, this system can measure over 30 simultaneous parameters, allowing for complex immunophenotyping of cells as well as examining multiple internal cell targets without the limitations traditional fluorescence flow cytometry has.

In addition to instrumentation, the facility has three dedicated analysis workstations for investigators with standard flow cytometric analysis software (Flowjo, IDEAS, Modfit). All data generated in the FCC is archived onto a 32-terabyte server with daily tape backup supported by the University Academic IT department.