The Flow Cytometry Shared Resource (FCSR) was established at Duke in 1979 to support investigators conducting basic, translational and clinical cancer research. The FCSR operates, maintains, and upgrades instrumentation for flow cytometric analysis and cell sorting of cells prepared by investigators and brought to the FCSR. The experienced staff of four performs almost all of the cell sorting and a small percentage of cell analysis, most of which is performed by facility users after being trained. The FCSR provides four analyzers, four cell sorters and one image cytometer: these cytometers are available at all times to all DCI members. Whether staff-run or self-run, fees are charged to partially offset operating expenses; DCI members receive a 40% discount across the board. In addition to cell sorting, acquiring, analyzing, archiving, and preparing flow data for publication, the FSCR staff provides consultation, technical advice, collaboration, and maintains a library to disseminate technical information to potential users. The FCSR staff has experience in nearly all areas of flow cytometric analysis and cell sorting applications and has helped investigators develop a variety of new applications. Staff members recommend assays, help develop and troubleshoot new protocols, participate actively in data analysis, and, in general, work closely with investigators to fine tune their individual experiments. The FCSR staff works integrally with investigators at all levels of experience and expertise to solve problems and meet investigators' scientific needs. Our services offered are commensurate with other facilities in the Southeast and our rates are quite competitive. We have kept our rates low for sorting cells, collecting data for analysis, or analyzing data, while at the same time not charging for consultation, project development, or cancelled appointments. While a small year-over-year decline in usage occurred in 2012, 2012 usage was still 11% higher than in 2009. Our use patterns in the coming years may be affected by stagnation of the NIH and other funders' budgets, which affect our users' ability to develop new lines of investigation and potential new users' ability to expand their work to include flow cytometry. However, even against that unknown, we expect a steady but modest increase in usage. In the past 12 months, 91 of our 146 users were DCI members, 85 of whom had peer-reviewed funding. Our DCI-member users represent all nine DCI research programs. Our long-term objectives are to continue to strategically incorporate new technologies and instruments that become available and that are needed to meet DCI members' needs and to continue to offer high quality, cost-effective service and expertise in flow cytometry.
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