FCCIF North Services
Cell Sorting
The information derived from multiparameter analysis is complemented by the ability to isolate any desired cell population with high-speed cell sorting for culture and further characterization by molecular biology and biochemical techniques.
Bigfoot Spectral Cell Sorter
With up to nine lasers and 60 detectors, the system can sort a 96-well plate in as little as 11 seconds and a 384-well plate in 20 seconds.
CytoFLEX SRT Cell Sorter
The Violet-Blue-Yellow Green-Red (V-B-Y-R) Series has 15 fluorescent detectors when fully activated. It is capable of complex sort logic, including four-way sorting, mixed mode sorting and the ability to catch aborts and preserve precious cells.
Aria II Cell Sorter
- A high-speed sorting instrument that offers three laser excitation wavelengths (405 nm, 488 nm and 630 nm) and emission with up to eight colors simultaneously
- Can accommodate four-way sorting into tubes, culture plates and slides
BD FACS Melody Cell Sorter
- Three spatially separated direct diode lasers (488 nm, 640 nm red, and 405 nm violet) and nine simultaneous colors (4-2-3)
- Can purify up to two populations simultaneously and sort into tubes or plates
Analytical Cytometry
The use of functional dyes as well as antibody-coupled fluorophores provides indispensable tools for the study of all aspects of cell biology, including protein expression, cell proliferation and differentiation, cell signaling pathways, enzyme activity, gene regulation, cell lineage, apoptosis, autophagy and chemotherapeutic resistance. Current instrumentation allows simultaneous quantitative analysis of up to 12 parameters, each of which is assayed at the individual cell level, facilitating high content analysis of mixed cell populations and rare cell types. The core facility provides researchers with technical expertise in assay development, data acquisition and various data analysis techniques.
Cytek Aurora
- 5 lasers, 3 scattering channels, and 64 fluorescence channels
- Full spectrum flow cytometer that does not use any optical dispersive element in its fluorescence detection system
Cytoflex LX
- Five lasers (375 nm, 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 638 nm)
- 19 channels for fluorescence detection
Cytoflex
- Three lasers (488 nm, 638nm, 405nm)
- 13 color capable of sampling 96 well plates
Gallios
The Gallios Flow Cytometer is a research system that delivers analytical excellence by coupling sensitivity with improved resolution and dynamic range. Also available as Gallios 561, which includes an extra laser at 561 nm.
Mass Cytometry
Mass cytometry facilitates high-dimensional, quantitative analysis of the effects of bioactive molecules on samples at single-cell resolution utilizing metal labeled antisera. Although similar to traditional fluorescence-based flow cytometry, the use of metal labels removes the need for compensation and alleviates the limitations on the detectible number of parameters. With more than 700 metal-conjugated antibodies available at the core's antibody bank, we are able to perform massively multiparametric cytometry in a quantitative manner.
CyTOF (Helios) Mass Cytometer
- Detection based on mass spectroscopy (Time of Flight), using metal-labeled antibodies
- Simultaneous detection of 40+ parameters-surface, intracellular markers
- Up to 500 events per second (~3 samples/hr of 150k events or 1M events/hr of barcoded samples)
Barcoded Suspension CyTOF
Sampling rate is about 1M events/hour for healthy PBMC, lower for tumor or samples with high number of dead cells.
Standard Biotools XTi Hyperion Imaging
- Imaging module that attaches to the CyTOF allowing for interrogation of material supported on a microscope slide
- Images tissues labeled with metal conjugated antibodies, reports in metals per pixel
- Detection based on mass spectroscopy (Time of Flight), using metal-labeled antibodies
- Simultaneous detection of 40+ parameters-surface, intracellular markers
- 1um resolution at a rate of ~27min per sq mm
Imaging
The facility offers a variety of microscope imaging modalities including laser-scanning confocal, spinning-disk confocal, whole slide imaging and multiplex immunofluorescence. Laser Scanning and Spinning Disk systems allow the localization and co-localization of cellular and sub-cellular components and cellular interactions in both fixed and live specimens. The systems are particularly useful in observing multicellular structures from tissues or cultured specimens in their native 3D forms. The core facility offers researchers tools and techniques for image acquisition, 3D-reconstruction and time-series observation as well as a variety of image processing and analysis functions. Both confocal systems are configured to allow longitudinal analysis of live cells.
Lunaphore COMET
A multiplex immunofluorescence platform enables imaging of up to 20 protein targets from a single tissue section and can image four slides in 24 hours. Our priority access systems can image a 9x9 mm imaging area, and the COMET 1.0 can image a 12.5 x 12.5 imaging area. For information regarding tissue microarrays for the COMET please contact Thomas Huynh in veterinary pathology.
Akoya PhenoImager HT/PE Vectra Polaris
- A multispectral whole slide scanning system with 80 slide capacity
Andor Revolution XDi WD Spinning Disk Confocal
- Live and fixed cell imaging
- Compatible with the Tokai Hit stagetop incubator for live cell confocal microscopy
- Features
- Yokogawa WD Disk
- Borealis with its Perfect Illumination Delivery™ technology
- iXon Ultra 888 EMCCD Camera
- Zyla 4.2 sCMOS Camera
FV1000 Laser Confocal with ISS Upgrade
- Laser scanning confocal featuring four confocal PMTs and one transmitted light PMT
- Lasers- 405, 458, 488, 515, 559, & 635 nm
Single Cell Proteomics
Automated single-cell proteomics systems are designed to understand and characterize differences among single cells, mapping thousands of cells per sample.
Isoplexis Isolight
- A single-cell, secreted protein analysis system
Other Services
Computational Analysis Training
Eight computers are available for training and imaging analysis. Available software includes:
- Visiopharm
- Imaris
- Inform
Antibody Conjugation
- Assisted and unassisted metal conjugation of antibodies (lanthanides and cadmium)
- 36 lanthanide isotopes for custom-labeled antibodies
- Up to 100ug per reaction; must be IgG and carrier-free (noBSA/gelatin)
- Up to 12 conjugations can be done in a day
- Reservations are priced per reaction, not per hour
Pricing
For up-to-date pricing information and availability, or to book an appointment, please see our iLab page.
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Research Areas
Find out about the four types of research taking place at UT MD Anderson.