Acquisition of a Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorter (FACS)

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Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) is a powerful technology allowing very large populations of single cells from a suspension to be directly interrogated and isolated based on selected individual characteristics. For instance, cell size along with a wide variety of cell features can be measured provided that a distinct fluorescent signal can be associated with each investigated trait. Cells that display interesting characteristics can then be separated from the rest of the population and quickly deposited in an appropriate container either individually or in bulk. Until recently, cell sorting required very expensive (often >$500,000) instruments that were also relatively complex to operate. In contrast, the requested Bio-Rad S3E cell sorter is affordable and simple to run. Although this instrument allows a maximum of four colors to be monitored, which is less than most cell sorters, this configuration is sufficient for the vast majority (>95%) of experimental needs in our laboratories. We request funding to purchase this instrument, that is otherwise unavailable on the main campus of the Université de Sherbrooke, to support our research in many fields including single-cell genomics, targeted transcriptomics, cell biology and genetics. This instrument is essential for our research programs, and will, under the supervision of a platform coordinator, enable many new projects as well as contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel from several laboratories.