This proposal is for the purchase of a state-of-the-art flow cytometer with cell sorting capability, specifically a FACSAria Special Order (SO) manufactured by BD Biosciences. The FACSAria SO will support investigators from 3 colleges on the Ohio University campus representing 6 departments and a multitude of undergraduate and graduate academic programs including 2 interdisciplinary graduate programs. Combined the major users have 24 graduate students, 14 undergraduate students, and 6 senior personnel. The majority of the primary users are unified through formal affiliation with campus-wide bioengineering/biotechnology initiatives. The numerous ongoing collaborations among these faculty members span bioengineering, biophysics, chemistry, and cell biology. The research projects are exceedingly meritorious as evidenced by the faculty members' publication records and the peer-reviewed research support. The FACSAria SO will replace the existing flow cytometer owned by Ohio University. The current flow cytometer was purchased more than 16 years ago from BD Pharmingen (currently BD Biosciences) and is no longer manufactured. The outdated technology and non-upgradeable capabilities of the current flow cytometer are severely limiting research progress and training. In addition, the frequent breakdown of the instrument leads to an unacceptable amount of frustration and lost productivity. Reviewers have commented on the lack of adequate flow cytometry facilities at Ohio University. The nearest fully functional flow cytometer/cell sorter is located in Columbus, Ohio, 75 miles away from Ohio University.
The goal of this project was to purchase a state-of-the-art flow cytometer with cell sorting capability, specifically a FACSAria Special Order (SO) manufactured by BD Biosciences, and to utilize this instrument to significantly advance research and education on the Ohio University campus and in the economically deprived region of Southeastern (Appalachian) Ohio. The FACSAria SO was purchased and operational within the first month of the grant period. It has been used extensively for research, training, and outreach and has provided an important resource to the local biotechnology community. The research projects supported by the FACSAria are quite varied and include work that seeks to gain a fundamental understanding of human disease (e.g. cancer, heart disease, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease) and/or develop novel therapeutics and diagnostics. The FACSAria SO has been used to train over 69 students and staff on the technique of flow cytometry and cell sorting. The participants (i) achieved a basic understanding of the physical principles that underlie flow cytometry and cell sorting, (ii) learned to design experiments and interpret the results of flow cytometric analysis, (iii) learned to isolate subpopulations of cells, (iv) learned the pitfalls of using flow cytometric analysis and cell sorting, and (v) gained a general understanding of the power of these techniques and their broad applicability to research, clinical practice and the development of novel biotechnologies. The participants represented four colleges, nine departments and a multitude of graduate and undergraduate programs on the Ohio University campus. Twelve of the participants were from the economically deprived Appalachian region. Two participants were from an exchange program with Capital Northern University in Beijing China, and one was a visiting MD/Ph.D. student from Holland. The FACSAria SO has been and continues to be used in courses that, to date, have involved a total of 100 students (81 undergraduates – including 6 Brazilian exchange students, and 19 graduate students). The FACSAria SO has been, and continues to be, used for outreach activities with the local Athens Ohio High School. The FACSAria SO is frequently used by local biotechnology companies and thus facilitates economic development in this underserved region. In summary, the purchased FACSAria SO has been, and continues to be, an important resource for research, education, outreach and economic development at Ohio University and throughout the underserved Southeastern Ohio Appalachian region.
