The first step in the study of the molecular machines that regulate complex cellular functions is high-throughput analysis to identify cells for analysis. Initially, genetically altered cells can be selected based only upon user defined characteristics. Two methods for sorting cells will be available in the facility.

Beckman Coulter EPICS ALTRA™

A rapid flow based Electronically Programmable Individual Cell Sorter (EPICSŪ ALTRA™ Cell Sorting) permits screening of large numbers of cells and selection of pools or clones of related cells.

The EPICS ALTRA can also be used to enrich cell populations prior to a low speed, higher content sort with the Evotec Technologies CytoClone.

Our Altra is equipped with 443 nm, 488 nm and 633 nm lasers & 7 PMTs.

Evotec Technologies CytoClone™

Microfluidic based Image Activated Cell Selection (Evotec Technologies, CytoClone™) permits high viability sorting based on high content information from phase contrast and fluorescence micrographs of individual cells.

The CytoClone™ is used in our lab for protein expression analysis at the clonal level. It provides us with the unique opportunity to see how protein distribution is related to a specific mRNA expression pattern. The imaging based approach of the CytoClone™ system for automated mammalian cell cloning allows obtaining topology information of multiple cellular proteins during clonal cell isolation.