Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter (FACS) Laboratory

The FACS Laboratory, headed by Derek Davies, provides a high quality flow cytometry service for the research laboratories at the LRI.

Flow cytometry is a specialised form of microscopy that provides a means of measuring cells or particles as they pass one by one through a light source, which is usually a focused laser beam. It is possible to measure physical characteristics such as cell size and shape by the way cells scatter light. Chemical characteristics can also be ascertained by measuring fluorescence after excitation by laser light. Any part of a cell that can be labelled with a fluorochrome can therefore be detected and quantitated by flow cytometry.

Flow cytometers may be divided into analysers and sorters. Analysis can be extremely rapid - up to 20,000 events per second - so it is an accurate way of quantifying properties of interest. In addition, it is possible to retrieve (or sort) cells identified by analytical flow cytometry for further study such as re-growth, extraction of nucleic acids or further functional analyses. Users are trained in the use of analytical cytometers while operation of cell sorters is by the Laboratory staff.

Major applications within the FACS laboratory are multicolor phenotyping (we can measure up to 13 colours on an individual cell), DNA analysis and cell cycle kinetics, cell death and apoptosis as well as functional assays such as cell killing or ion flux.

The service encourages interaction between users and service staff, and members of the team are available to advise on experimental design, interpretation and presentation of results.

The FACS service aims to keep on the cutting edge of cytometric technology and they are constantly updating hardware. They also introduce new techniques appropriate to users needs. Currently the Laboratory has five analytical cytometers and three high-speed cell sorters along with six permanent members of staff.

More information on the FACS lab can be found at http://science.cancerresearchuk.org/sci/facs/