Multiparameter cell sorter

细胞分选仪通常用于从异质混合物中分离细胞亚群用于功能表征的细胞（例如整个器官）;分离单细胞，例如，用于研究细胞群体内的单个细胞基因表达谱;产生基因修饰的细胞的克隆群体用于进一步的机制分析;以及纯化细胞器，如线粒体或细胞核，用于精确分析特定亚细胞区室中的蛋白质表达和活性。简而言之，获得强大的细胞分选技术对于属于NSERC任务范围内的各种自然科学研究计划至关重要。我们在本申请中提出获得三激光、8-荧光染料、全自动生物安全II级细胞分选仪，其将添加到我们现有的生物成像平台，并将由INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier的20个研究小组使用。目前的细胞分选仪在参数数量、检测灵敏度和分辨率以及实际分选输出率方面的能力非常有限（例如，低比率极大地限制了其用于稀有事件的纯化）;它也已停产，这意味着它无法升级，并且它不提供生物安全二级环境。这意味着申请人被迫穿越城市使用其他机构的设施，这不仅存在生物安全风险，而且降低了样本质量和产量。总之，在INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier获得多参数细胞分选仪对于我们的研究计划的连续性，高素质人才的有效培训以及新的高素质科学家的招聘至关重要。

Cell sorters are routinely used for the isolation of subpopulations of cells from heterogenous mixtures (such as whole organs) for functional characterization; isolation of single cells for example, for the study of individual cell gene expression profiles within a population of cells; generation of clonal populations of gene-modified cells for further mechanistic analysis; and the purification of organelles, such as mitochondria or nuclei for accurate analysis of protein expression and activity in specific subcellular compartments. In brief, access to a powerful cell sorting technology is essential to a wide variety of research programs in natural sciences that fall within the NSERC mandate.******We propose in the present application to acquire a three-laser, 8-fluorochrome, fully automated biosafety level II cell sorter that would add to our existing bioimaging platform and would be used by 20 research groups at the INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier. The current cell sorter has a very limited capacity in terms of number of parameters, sensitivity and resolution of detection, and the actual sorting output rate (low rate greatly limits its use for the purification of rare events, for example); it is also discontinued, which means it cannot be upgraded, and it does not provide a biosafety level II environment. This means that the applicants are forced to travel across town to use facilities at other institutions, which presents not only a biosafety risk but also diminishes sample quality and yield.******In summary, the acquisition of a multiparameter cell sorter at INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier is essential and urgent for the continuity of our research programs, efficient training of highly qualified personnel, and for the recruitment of new high caliber scientists.