Cytometry Core
The cytometry core serves about 50 laboratories with over 250 individual users at National Jewish, UCHSC, the Cancer Center, and outside organizations. The facility has both flow cytometry and imaging services. There are six flow cytometers. Four cytometers are analyzers and two are sorters. There are six imaging systems that can provide a range of services from a simple photo to real time live cell imaging with multi-color 3D imaging. Data may be analyzed off line with several analysis programs.
The objectives of this core are to provide high quality state of the art data to researchers at a reasonable cost and to train graduate students and post docs in the use of this technology.
The staff of the core facility maintains the equipment and will help users design experiments, use the equipment and analyze their data. Users are strongly encouraged to learn to operate the instruments without operator assistance. This training will help users better understand data, allow extended hours, reduce costs and achieve the greatest productivity and quality.
Cytometry allows users to obtain information about individual cells in a population. Flow cytometry allows the analysis of hundreds to thousands of cells in a second, which allows good sampling statistics even for rare cell populations. Cells may be characterized by eleven or more parameters. Standard tests include immunofluoresence, DNA measurements, and ion flux measurements, such as Ca++ or pH.
Imaging systems give a lot of information about a single cell or cell-cell relationships, but do not give the high numbers obtained in flow cytometry. Most of the microscopes can obtain information in three dimension as well as multiple excitation and emission wave lengths. This allows users to generate a three dimensional view of the cell to better understand how the different parts and molecules are related. Rapid live cell imaging is possible so that several colors and several layers in a cell can be imaged in a second. This will allow experiments such as real-time tracing of molecular motions inside the cell.
View our available instruments and services.
Return to top.
