The Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility (FCCS) of the Department for BioMedical Research provides instruments and know-how to perform experiments using flow cytometry, imaging flow cytometry, nanoparticle tracking analyses and cell sorting. Amongst other approaches, cell phenotype, cell cycle, quantification of antigens, cell viability including apoptosis, intracellular calcium concentrations, mitochondrial mass and activity, oxidative metabolism, membrane potential, endocytosis, cell fusion and many more, in particular also image-based analyses, can be performed.
Measurements are performed on a single cell basis and it is possible to determine up to 20 parameters simultaneously. Cell subsets of interest can be sorted for subsequent in vitro culture, adoptive transfer or for further cell biological and biochemical analyses. Single cells can be sorted into 96- or 384-well plates for cloning purposes.
The Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility (FCCS) is equipped with two BD FACS LSR II (5 lasers, 18 colors), a Beckman Coulter CytoFLEX with plate loader (4 lasers, 13 colors), an amnis ImageStreamX imaging flow cytometer (4 lasers, 6 colors), a Malvern NanoSight-300 nanoparticle tracking analyzer, two BD FACS ARIA III cell sorters (3 and 4 lasers, 14 colors), a BD FACS ARIA I cell sorter (3 lasers, 10 colors), and a Beckman Coulter MoFlo ASTRIOS BSL-2 cell sorter (5 lasers, 25 colors).
Cell sorters are principally staff-operated while Investigators will be introduced to use the analyzers on their own. Comprehensive, basic courses to flow cytometry are offered on a regular basis.
