This shared instrument proposal seeks funding for the purchase of a BIOSORTER-PRO large particle flow cytometer from Union Biometrica and a robotic arm assembly from BioSera. These instruments will support 14 NIH-funded grants awarded to researchers in the School of Humanities and Sciences and the School of Medicine at Stanford University and at University of California, Santa Cruz and San Jose State University. The requested instruments will be housed in the High Throughput Biosciences Center at Stanford University, a well-funded and centrally located core facility with the technical expertise required to operate and maintain the BIOSORTER-PRO and associated accessories. The BIOSORTER-PRO has the unique capability to sort and analyze samples such as whole organisms, large cells, and cell clusters that are too large or too fragile to be used with conventional cell sorters. The robotic arm assembly will facilitate large scale screening efforts performed on the BIOSORTER-PRO. This technology would support a diverse array of research projects from 12 independent investigators working on a broad range of topics including aging, cell and developmental biology, neuroscience, genetics, genomics, and infectious disease. The research goals will impact our understanding of basic biology as well as have a transformative impact on health-related problems such as aging, neurodegenerative disease, cardiac congenital defects and disease, the regenerative capacity of stem cells, and infectious diseases caused by schistosomes and parasitic nematodes. The majority of this work is done using the model organism C. elegans, which has a rich history of defining the mechanisms controlling an array of biological processes. The use of the BIOSORTER-PRO by additional labs working on other diverse models such as schistosomes and cells of the mouse heart, vasculature, and placenta is a testament to its versatility. The acquisition of the BIOSORTER-PRO and robotic arm assembly will make possible a number of novel and large-scale screening efforts that would otherwise not be possible, pushing forward the level of cutting edge research being done at and around Stanford University with the goal of making a significant impact on human health.
The purchase of a BIOSORTER-PRO and associated accessories will support and enhance NIH-funded research at and around Stanford University. This large particle flow cytometer and robotic arm assembly will enable large scale screening and analysis efforts to support research in aging, cell and developmental biology, neuroscience, genetics, genomics, and infectious disease, resulting in a transformative impact on our understanding of basic biology and human disease.
