MRI: Acquisition of a BD Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer for Multidiciplinary Undergraduate Research

流式细胞术已成为生物和生化研究中不可或缺的工具，因为它结合了荧光显微镜的多功能性和基于群体的定量方法的优势。该NSF MRI奖为购买BD Accuri C6流式细胞仪提供资金，以在伯明翰南方学院（BSC）引入和扩大流式细胞术的使用。Accuri C6流式细胞仪对于本科生研究项目非常重要，它结构紧凑，具有成本效益，能够进行复杂的细胞荧光和计数分析，在台式设备中提供全尺寸细胞仪的功能。该仪器的多功能性将促进其在化学和生物系的本科研究人员在各种广泛的应用。该仪器将用于定量评估细菌、酵母和哺乳动物细胞的细胞荧光。特别是，流式细胞术将用于解决生物学和化学中的重要问题，例如了解裂殖酵母中调节膜运输和控制细胞周期进程的机制，金黄色葡萄球菌中铁摄取途径的表征，以及酿酒酵母中复杂鞘脂稳态和细胞生理学之间的相互作用的研究。CSampler®附件将进一步使BSC研究人员能够进行高通量的基于荧光的分析，用于大规模筛选和识别新的研究途径。更重要的是，该仪器易于安装和使用，使得本科生也能使用流式细胞仪，流式细胞仪可以让研究人员在几分钟内快速定量数千个单个细胞的荧光水平，提供有关细胞群的定量信息，可用于解决许多重要的生物学和生化研究问题。流式细胞术的引入将影响伯明翰南方学院的本科教育，伯明翰南方学院是一所主要的本科文科学院，约有1300名学生，在生物学和化学方面有着良好的课程。通常情况下，每一个传入类的三分之一表示在科学的兴趣。虽然主要用于本科研究，该仪器将有一个显着的影响，教学，培训和学习，由于（1）在BSC的所有自然科学专业的研究要求和（2）研究到BSC的课程整合？的教学实验室。我们密集的高级研究计划是BSC自然科学的最大优势之一。这些专业的每一个毕业生都必须从事至少两个学期的研究。该仪器将为高级研究生提供利用学院目前没有的重要技术的机会。这种流式细胞仪的采购也将显着影响就读于生物和化学课程的学生。流式细胞术将被纳入荣誉细胞和分子生物学，遗传学，细胞生物学和生物化学的研究型实验室，让这些课程的学生接触流式细胞术数据收集和分析。学生将获得流式细胞术的实践经验，影响BSC的绝大多数科学专业。

Flow cytometry has become an integral tool in biological and biochemical research because it combines the versatility of fluorescence microscopy with the strength of quantitative population-based methods. This NSF MRI award provides funds for the purchase of a BD Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer to introduce and expand the use of flow cytometry at Birmingham-Southern College (BSC). Important for use in an undergraduate research program, the Accuri C6 flow cytometer is compact, cost-effective, and capable of complex cellular fluorescence and counting analyses, supplying the functionality of a full-scale cytometer in a table-top apparatus. The versatility of this instrument will facilitate its use by undergraduate researchers in the Chemistry and Biology Departments in a variety of broad applications. The instrument will be used to quantitatively assess cellular fluorescence of bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells. In particular, flow cytometry will be used to address important questions in biology and chemistry, such as understanding the mechanisms that regulate membrane trafficking and control cell cycle progression in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, characterization of iron uptake pathways in Staphylococcus aureus, and investigation of the interactions between complex sphingolipid homeostasis and cell physiology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The CSampler® accessory will further allow BSC researchers to perform high-throughput fluorescence-based assays for large-scale screening and identification of new avenues for research. Importantly, the ease of setup and use of this instrument makes flow cytometry accessible for researchers at the undergraduate level.Flow cytometry allows researchers to rapidly quantify fluorescence levels in thousands of individual cells within minutes, providing quantitative information about cell populations that can be used to address many important biological and biochemical research questions. Introduction of flow cytometry will impact undergraduate education at Birmingham-Southern College, a primarily undergraduate liberal arts college of approximately 1300 students with well-regarded programs in biology and chemistry. Typically, one-third of each incoming class expresses an interest in the sciences. Though primarily for undergraduate research, this instrument will have a significant impact on teaching, training, and learning due to (1) the research requirement for all natural science majors at BSC and (2) integration of research into the curriculum of BSC?s teaching laboratories. Our intensive senior research programs are among the greatest strengths of the natural sciences at BSC. Every graduate of these majors must engage in a minimum of two terms of research. This instrument will provide senior research students with the opportunity to utilize an important technology not currently available at the College. Acquisition of this flow cytometer will also significantly impact students enrolled in biology and chemistry courses. Flow cytometry will be incorporated into research-based laboratories in Honors Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, exposing students in these courses to flow cytometry data collection and analysis. Students will gain hands-on experience with flow cytometry, impacting the vast majority of science majors at BSC.