Flow Cytometry Cell Sorter

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Iowa Flow Cytometry Facility, established in 1979, supports a broad base of campus research projects. The Facility has grown to include nine instruments used by 23 departments across five colleges. Serving a diverse group of investigators requires instruments capable of accommodating a wide range of experiments. High-speed, multi-color cell sorting is a major component of this service. The Facility has only housed three cell sorters over its 30- year history, each used consecutively. The instruments were replaced only when they became obsolete in terms of scientific merit or difficult to maintain because of lack of spare parts and/or manufacturer support. This indicates that public funds have been used responsibly and wisely in support of healthcare-related research at the University of Iowa. The Facility's current cell sorter, scheduled to be obsolete after 2010, is a 2002 Becton Dickinson FACS DiVa. It serves as a work horse for cloning, isolating cells expressing fluorescent protein markers, multi-color cell sorting of rare cell populations, sorting based on cell cycle, and stem cell sorting of side populations. This Shared Instrumentation Application requests funds for a Becton Dickinson FACS Aria high-speed, multi-color cell sorter to replace the current instrument and to increase the number of colors, sensitivity, and capacity it provides to investigators. The Facility's long-term goal is to remain as close to state of the art as possible in support of its investigators' research. A replacement cell sorter is absolutely necessary given the wide spectrum of institutions and investigators that will be impacted if there is no access to cell sorting. Becton Dickinson discontinued sales of the FACS Vantage SE/DiVa family of instruments in 2007, DiVa software upgrades in 2008, and service contracts after 2010 (see attached letter). When parts and software to support the instrument become difficult to obtain after 2010, the current instrument will be mothballed. Secondly, the other two publicly accessible cell sorters that were previously available in the state of Iowa were retired in 2008. One of those instruments was housed at Iowa State University, and the other was housed in the University Of Iowa Department Of Pathology. The Flow Cytometry Facility now has the only operational cell sorter at an Iowa Board of Regents institution and must provide service to a larger number of investigators. If this sorter is not replaced, investigators will not be able to execute their funded research. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: University of Iowa researchers use flow cytometry, a fluorescence-based tool, to study human diseases such as prostate and breast cancer, lymphoma, cancer metastasis, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative disease, influenza, SARS infection, cellular effects of PCB pollutants, and Stem cell therapies. The cells that may hold the key to understanding and treating these diseases are usually present in minuscule numbers and cannot be readily examined. Sorting by flow cytometry allows the investigators to obtain large amounts of these important cells which can then be examined.