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. The Core Facility for Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting provides enabling technology not only for OMRF, but for others on the Health Sciences Campus and throughout the state of Oklahoma. Other institutions have analyzers, and two are able to sort cells. However, OMRF's facility is uniquely state of the art and has often helped others with technical issues. Investigators in this COBRE will have priority access not only to the instruments, but also to training. This is important because we have learned that scientists get maximum yield from their experiments when they are at least able to analyze their own data. Some fellows even learn how to operate the FACSAria, but this is done under close supervision by Facility technicians. Training goes even further by encouraging experienced users to share multi-color staining and bead separation technology with new users. The projects of Drs. Lijun Xia, Courtney Griffin, Jana Barlic, Hong Chen and Tim Griffin all require multiparameter flow cytometry and/or cell sorting. It will be necessary to manipulate rare cell types from liver, blood, adipose tissues, skin and bone marrow. These include lymphatic endothelial cells, blood endothelial cells, monocytes, macrophages and other leukocytes. Many OMRF scientists are already experienced with enumeration and sorting of extremely rare populations such as stem cells. Additionally, they use the facility to determine the extent of chimerism in transplanted mice and the efficacy of expression or knockdown constructs. Thus, everything that has been proposed or is likely to be done is within the capabilities of the Core Facility. As part of the mentoring function, new and more informative experimental protocols will be suggested to COBRE investigators. Finally, the Core Facility will help to recruit additional talented scientists by providing them with essential, state-of-the-art support.
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