The Flow Cytometry Core is a customer oriented service dedicated to supporting the research needs of the principal investigators of the Cancer Center at the University of Virginia, furthering its mission of better understanding cancer and developing strategies in prevention, detection, treatment and care. By providing convenient access to high quality, cost effective flow cytometry services, Cancer Center investigators have the necessary tools to answer a diverse range of experimental questions. With state of the art instrumentation, such as the FACSVantage SE TurboSort?, the facility offers high speed cell sorting and complex multicolor analytical services. For multicolor analytical services the facility offers three dual laser FACSCalibur? benchtop analyzers which can provide up to five color analyses, and a DAKOCytomation Cyan, a digital instrument which is capable of seven color analyses. Recently, School of Medicine support has enabled the facility to add a Luminex 100 IS for multiplexing assays for soluble analytes, upgrade the FACSVantage SE sorter to 4 way sorting capability and add an Amnis ImageStream 100 imaging cytometer. This instrumentation is compatible with a wide variety of flow cytometric applications such as subpopulation identification/quantification, molecular detection (using labeled antibodies or other ligands or fluorescent protein reporter molecules), measurement of DNA and RNA content for cell cycle analysis, apoptosis, probes for transcriptional activity, intracellular ion concentration (e.g. Ca++), cell viability, membrane potential, and bead based immunoassays. In addition to the availability of this instrumentation, the highly experienced staff of the facility provides consultation in experimental design, sample preparation and data analysis. Researchers have the option, once trained, of performing their own analysis or utilizing the expertise of the facility's staff to run their samples for them. Specialized training classes are offered for those researchers who wish to better understand the principles and techniques employed in this technology and prefer to directly acquire and/or analyze their own samples. Training, maintenance, calibration and troubleshooting services are also available to Cancer Center investigators who have satellite flow cytometers in their own laboratories.
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