We propose replacing an existing FACSVantage SE cell sorter at the University of Utah's Health Sciences Center with a four laser (405, 488, 561 and 640 nm) FACSAria-II SORP cell sorter. The existing instrument was purchased in 1994 with NCRR funding and, despite institutionally funded upgrades, no longer meets the needs of investigators. The Vantage is limited to 6-color sorting but, lacking cross beam compensation, effective resolution of some fluorochromes is diminished by spill over making 6 colors technically impractical. The Vantage can only do two-way sorting, sample processing is relatively slow (4K-10K cells/sec depending on sample) and the increasingly common red fluorescent proteins (ex. m-Cherry) cannot be used. Currently, investigators are running 6-8 color analyses on newer flow cytometric analyzers on campus which cannot be replicated on the Vantage for cell sorting. Many investigators, dealing with limited sample material, want to sort three or four subpopulations which necessitate two sequential runs on the Vantage resulting in loss of some of the limited sample and increased time. Investigators using red fluorescent proteins as reporters are completely unable to sort cells on which they have already gathered imaging data using these probes. And finally, the manufacturer will no longer support the Vantage after 2010 making service and replacement parts problematic. The Vantage is located in a core lab and is the only shared use cell sorter on campus serving the Medical Center, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Eccles Genetics Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, School of Pharmacy and undergraduate departments. A wide variety of sample material is analyzed and sorted ranging from bacteria, yeast and organelles in cellular lysates to zebra fish cells, lymphoid tissues, human tumor material and numerous cell lines. These services support NIH funded studies involving cancer, immunology, cell biology, drug development, drug delivery and public health. With the current instrumentation we are no longer able to provide state of the art cell sorting technology that is sought by many investigators which in turn impedes their ability to address scientific and healthcare related issues proposed in their various grants.
This request provides state of the art cell sorting instrumentation to support investigators active in various health and scientific related area of research. These investigators are recipients of peer reviewed funding from the NIH and NCI addressing a wide range of health care and scientific questions. To achieve success, many of these studies require the ability to isolate (sort) unique cells from mixed populations which the investigator will use to answer questions and test hypothesis proposed in their funding application.
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