This high-end instrument grant is to request funds for an iCyt Reflection Cell Sorter that will be dedicated for Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) research at Yale University School of Medicine as a shared instrument amongst >15 labs. In response to the NIH roadmap, there is a growing demand for BSL3 research at Yale to study infectious pathogens that cause US and global health burdens, have the potential to cause future pandemics or could be used as biowarfare agents. Another major goal of the NIH is to increase the amount of translational research being conducted in humans, and consequently, the study of human samples and clinical trials is increasing at Yale. Both of these important initiatives require cell sorting to purify and analyze specific cell populations, but currently Yale does not have the capability for fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) in a BSL3 setting to work with untested human samples (that could be infected with transmittable pathogens such as HIV and HCV) or cell samples from in vitro culture or animals infected with known pathogens that require handling at BSL2? levels. Based on the growing need from multiple researchers working with known BSL2rated pathogens as well as stricter regulations enforced by the Yale FACS Core on the sorting of untested human samples to ensure the safety of operators and other Users, the Yale scientific community is now in great need of a cell sorter dedicated to BSL3 research. In addition, a newly constructed BSL3 facility was recent completed that has space available for housing a cell sorter in this facility. There is strong institutional support for this equipment and the iCyt Reflection is an ideal instrument to meet these needs because it 1) was designed for BSL3 research and can fit into a biosafety cabinet, 2) can sort cells at very high-speeds (70,000 cells/sec), 3) can sort up to 4 samples simultaneously (no other cell sorter has this capability), 4) can perform state-of-the-art multicolor flow cytometry to measure >8 cellular parameters simultaneously, and 5) the iCyt corporation recognizes the importance of environmentally-friendly policies and has incorporated such features into the design of the iCyt Reflection Cell Sorter. Lastly, the purchase of this instrument will stimulate the US economy by and creating new jobs because it will require hiring an additional technician at Yale to operate the cell sorter and will increase the revenue of the iCyt Corporation permitting them to maintain or grow their workforce.
