This resubmission of our application requests funds for the purchase of a FACS Vantage/SE flow Cytometer with dual lasers to replace a 9 year old heavily used FACS Star Plus instrument with a single laser bench (that cannot be upgraded) and a 19 year old Coherent Model 90/5 argon laser. We are requesting a newly designed aerosol containment unit, additional PMT tubes, a cloning attachment, and the Turbosort fluidics as part of this request. This new flow cytometer would be essential to the work of 15 currently NIH funded grantees with 20 NIH grants between them, and for 3 additional investigators who have 5 applications submitted for review. This Flow Cytometer/Cell Sorter will be the only such instrument in Central NY. There is a 10 year old Coulter Epics dual laser sorter at Cornell with very limited general use, and instruments equivalent to the one we are requesting available on a limited basis in Albany and Rochester. Because of its age and repair problems as well as its technical limitations, we will trade in our FACStar Plus and Laser to reduce the cost of this new instrument. Investigators from other institutions in the CNY region will have access to this instrument, including researchers from Cornell University in Ithaca. Technical support and space will be provided through State and Institutional funding administered through the Department of Pathology. At least 12 investigators need the dual laser, 9 will need additional PMT tubes, 6 will need Pulse Processors, 5 will need the cloning attachment, 12 will need sorting capabilities, and 4 will need Biohazard Aerosol containment. We have addressed the helpful criticisms of the previous reviewers, matching our research plans to the instrument and lasers we are requesting. Our institution and the Department of Pathology have increased their commitments to this facility and instrument (in event of award), so that it will be adequately supported and maintained.
