INSTRUMENTATION FOR FUNCTIONAL CYTOMETRY

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My research program is concerned with the development of novel Cytometry techniques for cancer research and medicine. The cells within the same tumor differ in their molecular composition and functional properties. Studying and diagnosing cancer, therefore, require analysis of molecular composition and functional properties of cells with single-cell resolution. Techniques used for quantitative analyses with single-cells resolution are collectively called Cytometry. Up until recently, there were no Cytometry techniques for analyses of molecular composition and functional properties of cells. We have closed this technological gap by pioneering Chemical and Functional Cytometries. Chemical Cytometry is now a well established approach widely used by many research laboratories. Functional Cytometry is, in contrast, a new approach laid down by us in the last 3 years, which promises to revolutionize cancer research and cancer medicine. Our proof-of-principle experiments, described in several papers, were performed by using rudimentary equipment with a speed of ~30 cell per day, which is 1 million times less than required for practical applications of Functional Cytometry. Here we propose to build an instrument for Functional Cytometry that will allow the analysis of millions of cells per day and will, thus, facilitate further development and practical use of this novel technology. The instrument is based on a high-content imager and advanced image processing software. When acquired, the instrument will be used to its full capacity as the supported research program is very well funded (NSERC and CIHR grants totaling over $700,000 per year) and fully staffed (5 graduate students, 3 PDFs, and 4 research associates). We will use this instrument for many important projects, including the development of technology for drug-resistance-based cancer subtyping. The latter technology will facilitate personalized cancer treatment with the potential to significantly contribute to the health and wellbeing of Canadians. If the laboratory is not able to obtain the proposed instrument in 2015, many directions of our research will be impeded and some will be completely stalled. This, in turn, will cause significant delays in completion of degree requirements by graduate students.