< Back to previous page

Project

Robust, user-friendly and state-of-the-art fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS)

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) allows for isolation of individual cells and pathogens from complex cell mixtures derived e.g. from body fluids and tissues based on different cell characteristics (size, granularity and fluorescence). Isolated cells can be characterized in molecular detail, either directly or upon further cultivation. As such, FACS represents an essential tool in a plethora of life science research domains, including in the veterinary sciences. Since FACS involves live cells and pathogens, it requires on-site access by users to avoid transportassociated impaired cell viability or biosafety risks. At the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University, FACS is available via a 2009 Hercules grant and has contributed substantially to many successful research lines. Over the past 10 years, the available FACS has become increasingly unreliable and outdated. In addition, the current FACS equipment is complex, increasing the threshold for inexperienced research groups to implement FACS technology in their research lines. Therefore, the current application aims at an easy-to-use (low-threshold) FACS that is at the same time state-of-the-art with regard to the applications needed (e.g. plate sorting for possible single cell omics, temperature-controlled sample loader and sort collection recipients). This equipment will be of invaluable use for veterinary research at Ghent University, exemplified by the variety of scientists involved in this application

Date:1 May 2020 →  Today
Keywords:lymphocytes, mucosal immunity, cell clones, innate immunity, cell markers, cell populations, dendritic cells, vaccination, antigen-presenting cells, sorting, activation markers, immune response
Disciplines:Veterinary immunology, Innate immunity, Vaccinology, Veterinary physiology, pathophysiology and biochemistry, Allergology, Gastro-enterology, Adaptive immunology