Flow Cytometry Cell Sorter

描述（由申请人提供）：爱荷华州大学流式细胞仪设施，成立于1979年，支持校园研究项目的广泛基础。该设施已发展到包括五个学院的23个部门使用的九种仪器。为不同的研究人员提供服务需要能够容纳各种实验的仪器。高速、多色细胞分选是这项服务的主要组成部分。该设施在其30年的历史中只安置了三台细胞分选机，每台都连续使用。这些仪器只有在其科学价值已经过时或由于缺乏备件和/或制造商支持而难以维持时才予以更换。这表明，公共资金已被负责任地和明智地用于支持爱荷华州大学的医疗保健相关研究。该设施目前的细胞分选机，计划在2010年后淘汰，是2002年的Becton Dickinson FACS DiVa。 它是克隆、分离表达荧光蛋白标记物的细胞、稀有细胞群的多色细胞分选、基于细胞周期的分选和侧群的干细胞分选的主要工具。该共享仪器申请要求为Becton Dickinson FACS Aria高速多色细胞分选仪提供资金，以取代当前仪器，并增加其为研究者提供的颜色数量、灵敏度和容量。该基金的长期目标是尽可能接近最新技术水平，以支持其调查人员的研究。 考虑到如果无法进行细胞分选，将受到影响的机构和研究人员的广泛范围，更换细胞分选仪是绝对必要的。Becton Dickinson于2007年停止销售FACS Vantage SE/DiVa系列仪器，于2008年停止销售DiVa软件升级，并于2010年停止销售服务合同（见随附信函）。2010年后，如果难以获得支持该仪器的部件和软件，现有仪器将被封存。其次，之前在爱荷华州可用的另外两个可公开访问的细胞分选机已于2008年退役。其中一台仪器位于爱荷华州州立大学，另一台仪器位于爱荷华州大学病理学系。 流式细胞仪设施现在在爱荷华州董事会机构中拥有唯一可操作的细胞分选机，并且必须为更多的研究者提供服务。如果不更换该分拣机，研究人员将无法执行其资助的研究。 公共卫生相关性：爱荷华州大学的研究人员使用流式细胞术（一种基于荧光的工具）研究人类疾病，如前列腺癌和乳腺癌、淋巴瘤、癌症转移、自身免疫性疾病、神经退行性疾病、流感、SARS感染、PCB污染物的细胞效应和干细胞疗法。可能掌握理解和治疗这些疾病的关键的细胞通常以微小的数量存在，并且不容易检查。通过流式细胞术分选允许研究人员获得大量的这些重要细胞，然后可以对其进行检查。

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.