Advanced cell sorting technology to properly investigate biological mechanisms in the presence of cellular heterogeneity

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In studies of the biological mechanisms governing cellular responses to their microenvironment it is common to take one or more individual measurements to characterize a given response. These measures effectively present the average of every cell within that population being studied. For this reason, it is critical that the cellular population being investigated is homogenous; in other words, every cell should be very similar to one another and their responses to a stimulus should be similar as well. If not, the resultant measurement may not accurately represent the phenomenon being studied unless those heterogenous cells are separated from one another. In the case where a cell's microenvironment or some other form of exogenous stimuli drives that cell to differentiate into one or more new, highly specialized cell types, heterogeneity is expected. Here, the need to separate or sort cells according to their differentiated phenotype is of utmost importance, as it will allow investigators to use their powerful toolkit of cellular and molecular techniques and measures to understand the biological underpinnings of those differentiated subsets. Clearly, to test novel and innovative hypotheses in cellular and molecular biology, advanced instrumentation to physically sort and separate heterogenous cell types into defined populations is fundamental. Unfortunately, for our research team representing NSERC-funded investigators from Laurentian University, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University and Health Sciences North Research Institute, there are no adequate means to achieve this goal within a 400 km radius. With this funding, we aim to purchase an automated cell sorting instrument that will allow us to isolate up to two phenotypically distinct types of cells from a mixed population, which we can then analyze using traditional cellular and molecular biology techniques. This will greatly advance our research goals, allowing our investigators to study signalling mechanisms of unique cell subsets that they are currently unable to obtain; use cutting edge CRISPR-based screening tools to obtain rare genetic mutant cells that may uncover the nature of neoplastic cell transformation; and sort out cells within a seemingly homogenous population that for some yet to be discovered reason are able to resist the cancer causing effects of radiation. Furthermore, adding such advanced instrumentation to our current comprehensive system of cell biology tools will enrich the highly-qualified training environment that we provide to students and other trainees in Northeastern Ontario. This will improve the marketability of their skills, while providing regional natural sciences, biotechnology and medical industries better candidates to drive innovation in their businesses.