A request is made for funds to purchase a Cytek Aurora flow cytometer that will replace an aging 1st generation BD LSRII bench analyzer. Purchased over 16 years ago, our current LSRII flow cytometer is the only instrument present at the University of Vermont that can detect more than 8 optical parameters at a time. Therefore, this single instrument serves the needs of 25 NIH- supported investigators, and 27 NIH grants, at the University of Vermont who conduct high-end flow cytometric data acquisition for their research. Our 16-year old LSRII is near the end of its service life. In recent years, down-time due to increased need for maintenance and repair has steadily increased. The LSRII was last manufactured in 2009, and the manufacturer will cease supporting the instrument in the next year, increasing the likelihood that replacement parts will be harder to procure. The new Aurora flow cytometer that will replace our LSRII will be located in the Larner College of Medicine Flow Cytometry Facility, which has been in existence for over 25 years, and which serves a broad community of investigators from a variety of disciplines. This facility is managed by an experienced and accredited scientist/cytometrist, is directed by a faculty advisor with over 20 years of experience in flow cytometry and immunology, is overseen by an internal advisory committee, and continues to enjoy strong institutional support from the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine. Acquisition of this new instrument is necessary to advance the research needs of our NIH-funded investigators.
A flow cytometer is an instrument that allows researchers to collect abundant quantitative and qualitative information about heterogeneous, mixtures of cells at a high rate of speed. Flow cytometers are used to characterize different types of white blood cells and/or hematological malignancies. Basic research applications include detection and quantitation of cell surface proteins, analysis of apoptosis, cell cycle analysis, and intracellular detection of cytokines and transcription factors. The goal of the current application is to replace our current 16-year old instrument that is increasingly difficult to maintain and repair with a new instrument that has the capabilities to meet the needs of our NIH-funded investigators.
