NMIMR Flow Cytometry Core Facility
About
The mission of the flow cytometry core facility at NMIMR is to provide comprehensive support in flow cytometric analysis and cell sorting. The facility is equipped with high end cytometers for cell analysis, including a Spectral Cytometer and a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter based on both spectral and morphological parameters. The facility provides both theoretical and practical training, consultation on panel and experimental design, data acquisition and analysis.
Instrumentation
BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter with BD CellView™ Image Technology and BD SpectralFX™ Technology
The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter is a high-end cytometer that combines spectral flow cytometry, cell sorting technology with real-time spatial and morphological imaging. The cytometer is equipped with 6 lasers (Ultraviolet [349 nm], Violet [405 nm], Blue [488 nm], Yellow/ Green [561 nm], Red [640 nm]) and 78 optical detectors comprising the full spectrum. This leading-edge technology, the first in Africa, is poised to transform the way the biomedical community approaches cell analysis and sorting, offering unprecedented capabilities for research, diagnostics, and innovation. Services are available to researchers, clinicians, students, industry professionals and other interested parties.
Key Features
The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter is equipped with BD CellView™ Image Technology and BD SpectralFX™ Technology. This powerful combination allows for:
- Advanced Cell Population Analysis: The system’s 78 fluorescent detectors across five (5) lasers with algorithmically optimized bandpass filters enhance fluorochrome resolution and reduce time to insight. Such multidimensional analysis is riveting for immunophenotyping. It enables the identification and isolation of cell types that were previously difficult to distinguish from one another. In clinical practice, this unit is essential for diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and some autoimmune conditions.
- Realtime Cell Imaging: Zooming in from cell populations to a single cell, the BD CellView™ Image Technology provides real-time spatial and morphological insights to specific cells and particles. It has three (3) imaging-enabled blue laser detectors that provide a visualization of cell characteristics. Such single cell-resolution allows for various analyses, such as investigations of cell-to-cell interactions, phagocytosis, tumor architecture and cell cycle stages.
- High-Speed Cell Sorting: The system allows a maximum six-way cell sorting into tubes (1.5 ml, 2.0 ml and 5.0 ml), plates (94- and 384-well plates) or microscope slides. Sort gates can be adjusted using cell images to enhance the quality of downstream processes, such as sequencing, culturing or protein engineering.
- Quality Control: With a robust Quality Management System in place, you can be confident in a high integrity, reproducibility and privacy of your data.
Guidelines for access and use of the Core facility
The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter services are available to researchers, clinicians, and other interested parties at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. Presently, the instrument is only operated by authorized and dedicated personnel to ensure optimal performance and data quality. To ensure efficient operations, please follow these guidelines:
- Booking: You can book an appointment here to use the Cytometer.
- Reagents: You can supply samples along with reagents/markers for the procedure required. You can also go through our catalogue of available antibodies and if your required markers are available, you can generate the cost of us providing the required markers for your sample analyses.
- Payment: Depending on the services you require from the core facility, the cost of any markers you select from our panel as well as the standard hourly usage fee and maintenance costs will have to be paid at our Accounts Unit and the receipt presented to the Core Facility before sample processing will commence.
- Operation: Trained staff will run samples provided by clients. A client can, however, be present to observe and work with the designated operator.
- Functionality: The instrument is available for multicolor flow cytometry, single-cell analysis, cell imaging and cell sorting.
Terms and Conditions
- Hourly Usage Rate: The standard hourly usage rate for the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter Service is $20. The minimum charge is one (1) hour at the standard rate, and reservations must be made in one-hour increments. Rates may vary with services. An hour’s rate will be charged for cancellations made less than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment, and 100% of the order fee will be charged in the event of a no-show.
- Support services: The Flow Cytometry and Single Cell Analysis Core provides expert consultation on the following
- experimental design
- sample staining
- cell population analysis
- imaging, cell/ particle sorting
- data analysis at a fee
- Service Guidelines:
- Services must be booked at least 48 hours ahead of time via the booking link.
- We do not accept responsibility for samples not properly collected and stored.
- Reanalysis of samples because of inconclusive results will be charged as a new order.
- Data from the cytometer will be stored for a maximum of two weeks. We reserve the right to store data in the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter database.
We encourage you to leverage the advanced multiparametric capabilities of the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter to drive your research forward. Contact the Flow Cytometry Core today to explore how this technology can benefit your project or practice. Unlock the language of cells. Make a discovery.
For further enquiries, contact:
Prof. Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi – akusi@noguchi.ug.edu.gh
Dr Frederica Partey – fpartey@noguchi.ug.edu.gh
Dr Dorotheah Obiri – dobiri@noguchi.ug.edu.gh
