Upgrade for fluorescence activated cell sorter

在这项拨款申请中，我们要求升级到一种称为“荧光激活细胞分选器”的精密仪器。我们需要两个额外的激光器，将这台机器的能力从检测6个荧光标记增加到检测13个。这将大大提高其从复杂的细胞混合物中识别稀有细胞的能力。例如，现在将有可能从血液和组织中鉴定罕见的免疫细胞群，并将允许从超过2亿个细胞的复杂混合物中检测独特的荧光微生物或荧光标记细胞。这种升级是一个急需的功能，将有利于研究人员在免疫学，干细胞生物学，微生物学，化学酶学和生物工程。此外，这两种激光器提供了测量紫色激活荧光探针和红色荧光蛋白的独特能力，研究人员越来越多地使用它们来标记细胞。这次升级将提供一个尖端的细胞分选器，能够对多荧光样品进行高通量分选，并将被安置在大学的流式细胞术设施中，所有研究人员都可以使用。该设施提供培训、支持和专业知识，使研究人员能够对样品进行分类并开发新的创新应用。例如，升级后的仪器将用于基因筛选，以识别和分离细菌中的罕见突变。它将使免疫学家更好地了解免疫细胞对病原体的反应机制，并使病毒学家更好地了解宿主-病原体的相互作用。它将有助于优化哺乳动物干细胞作为新生物制剂开发所需的大批量生长条件，协助改进酶的定向进化，为工业过程提供新的催化剂，并有助于新疗法的开发。升级后的仪器将有助于增加我们对未开发生态系统中微生物群落的了解，为细菌的遗传交换和酵母的营养诱导基因调控提供新的见解。这将有助于为胚胎遗传印记提供新的见解。这台升级后的仪器将因此加强若干研究项目，并将使新的科学创新和进步成为可能，所有这些最终将使加拿大人受益。它将有助于增加生物学许多领域的知识，推动生物技术的创新发现，并创造新的工业和医疗应用。它还将加强与我们的研究项目有关的许多高素质人员的培训和技术能力。

In this grant application, we are requesting an upgrade to a sophisticated instrument known as a ‘fluorescence-activated cell sorter’. We are requesting two additional lasers that will increase the capability of this machine from detecting 6 fluorescent markers to detecting 13. This will greatly enhance its ability to identify rare cells from complex mixtures of cells. For example, it will now be possible to identify rare immune cell populations from the blood and tissues, and will allow the detection of uniquely fluorescent microbes or fluorescently labeled cells from complex mixtures of over 200 million cells. This upgrade is a much-needed feature that will benefit researchers in immunology, stem cell biology, microbiology, chemical enzymology and biological engineering. In addition, these 2 lasers provide the unique ability to measure violet-activated fluorescent probes and red fluorescent proteins that are increasingly used by researchers to label cells. This upgrade will provide a cutting edge cell sorter capable of high throughput sorting of multi-fluorescent samples and will be housed in the University’s Flow Cytometry Facility, accessible to all researchers. The facility provides training, support and expertise that enables researchers to sort samples and develop new innovative applications. For example, the upgraded instrument will be used in genetic screens to identify and isolate rare mutations in bacteria. It will enable immunologists to better understand the mechanisms immune cells employ in response to pathogens, and enable virologists better understand host-pathogen interactions. It will help lead to the optimization of large batch growth conditions required for the development of mammalian stem cells as new biologics, assist in the directed evolution of improved enzymes that provide new catalysts for industrial processes and contribute to the development of new therapeutics. The upgraded instrument will help increase our knowledge of microbial communities in unexplored ecosystems, provide new insights into genetic exchange in bacteria and nutrient induced gene regulation in yeast. It will help provide new insights into genetic imprinting in embryos. This upgraded instrument will thus enhance several research programs and will enable new scientific innovations and advances, all of which will ultimately benefit Canadians. It will help increase knowledge in many areas of biology, fuel innovative discoveries in biotechnology and create new industrial and medical applications. It will also enhance the training and technological capabilities of the many highly qualified personnel associated with our research programs.