Acquisition of a cell-sorting flow cytometer and a storage phosphor imager for environmental and biological studies at Florida International University

将获得的仪器将为佛罗里达国际大学(FIU)东南环境研究中心(SERC)的新分子成像设备提供核心。EPICS Altra流式细胞仪将从Beckman-Coulter Corporation购买，配备用于细胞分选和亚微米颗粒检测，Fla 3000-G荧光成像仪将从富士医疗系统购买。这两台仪器都将是跨学科多用户设施的一部分，该设施将用于金融情报股科学界的研究和研究培训。即将获得的流式细胞仪具有显示即使是最小的细菌细胞的分辨率，并且通过细胞分类选项，它可以根据这些细胞特殊的光散射或荧光特性，快速、自动地从液体样本中分离和收集特定细胞。因此，该仪器不仅为表征/计数提供了一个令人难以置信的强大工具，而且还为收集特定种群(如特定类型的细菌细胞、浮游植物或孢子)提供了一个强大的工具。将要获取的荧光成像仪系统是一个多标签系统，它可以检测和数字记录通过放射性、荧光和化学发光标记的样品的图像。它将用于对电泳胶、斑点、标记组织等进行成像。之所以选择FLA 3000-G荧光粉成像仪，是因为它的灵敏度、分辨率和多功能性，因为它还将允许使用其他非放射性标记策略。有各种各样的项目将使用这两种工具中的一种或两种。通常，荧光成像仪将主要用于体外分析(体外杂交、遗传指纹、基因表达差异显示、掺入研究等)。而流式细胞仪将通过它们的散射和荧光特性来处理整个细胞/颗粒的原位或体内表征。大多数体内完整细胞的流式细胞术分析将被用来揭示它们的数量、活性和自身荧光特性。各种各样的其他研究将使用完整的细胞，这些细胞已经根据其特定的基因或表型进行了荧光标记。该仪器的购买和环境分子成像设施在SERC的建立将极大地促进FIU的研究和教育机会。通过这笔赠款获得的仪器将与颗粒计数器、荧光显微镜、数字成像系统和其他分子生物学资源相结合，为FIU和SERC的研究社区提供集中的专业知识和设备，用于分子生物学成像。这一设施将帮助教师和学生适应和开发适当的分子成像应用程序，以加强他们的研究。

Instrumentation will be acquired that will provide the core for a new Molecular Imaging Facility at the Southeast Environmental Research Center (SERC) of Florida International University (FIU). An Epics Altra flow cytometer equipped for cell sorting and detection of submicron particles will be purchased from Beckman-Coulter Corporation, and a FLA 3000-G phosphor imager will be purchased from Fuji Medical Systems. Both of these instruments will be part of an interdisciplinary multi-user facility that will be used for research and research training by the FIU scientific community. The flow cytometer to be acquired has the resolution to visualize even the smallest bacterial cells, and with the cell-sorting option it can rapidly and automatically isolate and collect specific cells from liquid samples, based on those cells particular light scatter or fluorescent properties. Therefore, this instrument not only provides an incredibly powerful tool for characterization/enumeration but also for the collection of specific populations (such as specific types of bacterial cells, phytoplankton, or spores). The phosphor imager system to be acquired is a multi-label system, which can detect and digitally record images of samples labeled by radioactivity, fluorescence, and chemiluminescence. It will be used to image electrophoresis gels, blots, labeled tissue, etc. The FLA 3000-G phosphor imager was chosen because of its sensitivity, resolution and versatility since it will also permit the use of other non-radioactive labeling strategies. There are a wide variety of projects that will utilize either or both of these instruments. Typically, the phosphor imager will be mostly used for in vitro analysis (in vitro hybridization, genetic fingerprinting, differential display of gene expression, incorporation studies, etc.) while the flow cytometer will handle the in situ or in vivo characterization of whole cells/particles by their scatter and fluorescent properties. Most of the in vivo intact cell analyses by flow cytometry will be used to reveal their numbers, activity, and autofluorescent properties. A variety of other investigations will use intact cells that have been fluorescently labeled based on their specific genotype or phenotype. The acquisition of this instrumentation and the establishment of an Environmental Molecular Imaging Facility at SERC will significantly advance research and educational opportunities at FIU. The instrumentation acquired through this grant will be combined with particle counters, epifluorescent microscopes, digital imaging systems, and other molecular biology resources to provide a concentration of expertise and equipment to the research community within FIU and SERC for molecular biology imaging. This facility will help the faculty and students to adapt and develop appropriate molecular imaging applications to enhance their research.