Flow Cytometry Core 

The mission of the Flow Cytometry Core is to provide a shared facility that assists investigators whose studies require the characterization of molecular markers in dispersed cells and/or the isolation of cells based on those markers.

 

Flow Core

 

We support research needs common to multiple researchers for which collective implementation improves research capabilities through the following objectives: 

  • Provide and maintain highly sophisticated flow cytometry, cell sorting and mass cytometry instruments, including coordination of instrument procurement aligned with DRC needs.  

  • Provide consultation, operator assistance and training of DRC members in the application of cytometry and cell sorting technologies in order to enable robust best practices for data collection and interpretation. 

  • Centralize resources into a single facility to improve the standardization of equipment calibration, equipment configuration and use of experimental protocols. This improves reproducibility of results and minimizes inefficiencies, which in turn increases the ability to compare results from different labs and timepoints to promote collaboration among DRC laboratories.  

  • Enable cost sharing for expensive instrumentation and reagents and provide economies of scale to develop self-sustaining Core services. 

  • Coordinate development and adoption of new methods to provide cutting edge capabilities to DRC researchers. Dedicated career and expert personnel facilitate continuity, longevity and development of services, through testing of new protocols and new equipment as well as advanced training.  

 

Facilities

The Parnassus Flow Cytometry CoLab (PFCC) currently occupies 2 sites within the UCSF community. The ten flow cytometers, eight cell sorters, two mass cytometers and one MIBIscope within the Flow and Mass Cytometry Core are housed in a central location with over 2,400 sq ft on the 8th floor of the Medical Sciences Building at the Parnassus Campus. The PFCC also runs the flow cytometry operation for the Human Islet & Cellular Transplantation Facility at our Mission Center Building campus. Instruments whose operation can be easily overseen simultaneously by a Staff member are co-housed within the same room, which enables cost-effective operation, maintenance, and oversight of use by others. The merger of the Cores, and bringing their operation under the guidance of a strong advocate within the Chancellor’s Office, helped encourage the cooperation of a broad number of departments to enable consolidation and renovations needed to re-locate the instruments to ensure the most cost-effective operation. The PFCC is one of the largest cytometry cores in the country and has developed a broad repertoire of instrumentation, technical expertise, and an infrastructure to help address a wide variety of experimental demands and novel applications in many model systems.

 

Training and Direct Assistance

The DRC Flow and Mass Cytometry Core has a significant training component for each of its technologies and instruments. The Core Staff is readily available to help users with the proper execution and analysis of their studies. All users are properly onboarded and trained, which improves both the success of their research and their professional development. Direct assistance with operating an instrument also is available, at cost, on request. The option to pay for the Core Staff to conduct some studies (see Recharge System section) is particularly beneficial for those laboratories requiring short-term cytometry or sorting needs on a limited number of samples. In such instances, the time required for training a user who would not continue to use the equipment long-term would not be cost-effective. 

 

Operational Guidelines

The general operational guideline that governs the provision of all DRC Cores is to lower the technical, structural, educational, and cost barriers that impede researchers from conducting their diabetes-related studies. The adherence to this guideline is monitored through informal and regularly scheduled User Group meetings with Core Staff and Core leadership, and regular meetings of the Core leadership with the Director of DRC Cores and with the UCSF DRC Executive Committee.