Single cell(-type) platform for biological applications.

The recent soar in single cell and single cell-type analyses relies on breakthrough technologies to unveil tissue  heterogeneity. Until recently, researchers in biological and life sciences would work at the resolution of entire organs or tissues, for example by trying to establish how the brain displays plasticity and how that affects the entire organism. It is however no secret that organs and tissues consist of different cell types, which contribute to different extents to distinct processes.
Recent technological advancements lead to robust, userfriendly Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) instruments, breaking open this niche field to a wide user base of researchers, now having the technology at hand for unmasking biological phenomena that would otherwise remain hidden in whole-tissue analyses. Thanks to accessible FACS technology, scientists can easily isolate single cells of interest to analyze individually, or grow clonal populations from them. In addition, sorting out tissues into their composite cell types can easily be done based on marker use.
While FACS technology per se has been around for several years, the newest instruments are truly innovative in that they abolish the need of restricting access to specialist operators. It is clear that the future of biological research will be driven by findings of single cell(-type) studies, and via the acquisition of such a FACS instrument, our consortium aspires to remain a leading party in neurobiology research.