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Description of Services
The Flow Cytometry core facility is committed to
meet all of the flow cytometry needs for the BIDMC and LMA research community. The facility offers
state of the art instrumentation for routine flow cytometry and cell sorting. With the acquisition
of the new FC500, we have expanded our analysis capabilities to 5 fluorescent parameters, and with
the upgrade of the MoFlo, to 7 fluorescent parameters. In addition, we are available to answer
technical questions, to assist you in setting up flow cytometry experiments and to assist you in
acquiring, analyzing and interpreting your data. The flow facility is also available to assist in
data presentation and data storage. Training on the two bench top analyzers and on software is
provided by the facility as well.
Hours of Operation
The
FACScan (SL213) and the FC500 (HIM907) are available 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. All users are
required to sign in on the on-line calendars before using either on the two instruments. To access
the FACScan, you will need to obtain an access card from security with room SL213 programmed into
it. Access card authorization forms are available from the flow facility.
Appointments for all other services are
available Mon-Fri, 9-5, and must be made before hand with the flow facility. Because of the
increased demand for sorting, training, etc., it will be necessary to give us 1-2 weeks advanced
notice.
Location and Availability
The flow facility is located in the
Slosberg-Landay building, in room 213. The office is located in 205. The FC-500 is located in the
HIM building, room 907.
Cell Sorting and flow facility assisted
flow cytometry is available to every member of the BIDMC and LMA research community. User
operated flow cytometry is available ONLY to those individuals who have been trained BY THE FLOW
FACILITY. You cannot train others in your lab to use the instruments. If someone has prior flow
cytometry experience, and they can demonstrate proper operation of the FACScan or FC500, they will
not need to go through the formal training. However, the final decision on who can use the flow
cytometers will be made by the flow core facility. If you have a user ID and password, you CANNOT
give that access to another person. Individuals who abuse this system will have their access denied.
All flow facility users must have their own individual username, password and access card.
Operation
Warm-up-
If you are using the FACScan, allow for a 5 minute warm-up period. If you are using the FC500, allow
for a 15 minute warm-up.
Sheath fluid-
You are responsible for adding sheath fluid to the instrument for your appointment. You are
not responsible for adding sheath fluid after using the instruments, although you are welcome to do
so. Remember that whenever you add sheath fluid, YOU MUST empty the waste. Please add one small
brown bottle of bleach to the waste tank.
Shut-down-.
When you are finished running the instruments, you must clean the instrument following the cleansing
protocol specific for that instrument. The FACScan MUST be put in STANDBY. This is extremely
important, and one of the reasons why it has been down a lot lately. If you are the last one to use
the instrument, please shut it off.
Troubleshooting-
If you have a clog, or if there is anything wrong with the instrument, first try running a tube of
bleach (FACScan) or priming the system (FC500). If this doesn’t resolve it, STOP. Call the facility.
If you cannot get in touch with anyone, you will have to wait until the core facility can resolve
the problem. DO NOT try to fix the instrument yourself, or call the vendors. The field service
engineers will not deal with anyone except the flow facility.
Scheduling an FACS Appointment
To schedule an appointment for regular flow
cytometry (user operated), log onto our online web calendar at:
http://bidflow.calendarhost.com
There you will be able to choose either the FACScan or the FC500. To book a time, logon with your
username and password, click the time you want to start the appointment, and enter the amount of
time you want the appointment to last. Remember, you are billed for the time you sign up for, so if
you sign up for 2 hours, and only use 1 hour of that time, you will be charged for 2 hours. However,
be careful not to underestimate the time you are going to need. If you sign up for 1 hour, but need
2, you will need to reserve that time, or risk being kicked off by someone who signed up.
Things to bring with you:
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Pipette and tips
·
FSACS tubes. (FALCON 2052’s). The
flow facility does not provide FACS tubes. The tubes we have are available to
replace cracked tubes, but please do not depend on the facility having tubes for your samples.
·
Gloves
Things to take with you:
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Racks
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Ice buckets
·
Analysis
·
Disks
·
If you bring it in, please take it
out. Anything left in the core facility is fair game for the next person to keep.
Scheduling a Sort or Other
Appointment
To schedule an appointment for sorting,
facility-assisted flow cytometry, training or any other appointment, please call the facility at
667-4901. For cell sorts, please give us at least 1-2 weeks prior notice. Effective August 1, sorts
will only be scheduled three weeks in advance, and will be on a first come-first serve basis.
Things to bring with you to a sort:
·
Sterile collection tubes with
media added
·
Extra collection media
·
If you are sorting into 96 (or
other) well plates, bring an extra plate for sorter calibration
Billing
The flow cytometry core facility is a
fee-for-service facility. Currently, our billing structure is as follows:
BIDMC
$50/hour
External Academic/Medical $75/hour
External Commercial $110/hour
These charges are for FACS and sorts. For
facility assisted flow cytometry, a 50% surcharge is added.
Charges are accrued in 15 minutes increments for
the analyzers, and 30-minute increments (with a minimum charge of 1 hour) for cell sorts.
Bills are calculated at the end of the month,
and are sent to the individual investigator’s financial administrator. It is up to the individual
user to supply grant numbers to your administrator.
Contact Information
To contact the facility, please call 667-4901,
or email at
jtigges@bidmc.harvard.edu. Please direct all inquiries, appointment requests and concerns to John Tigges.
You can also page John at 31233
Security
The number of users of the flow core facility is
steadily increasing. We have over 100 individual users and over 20 labs from all over the LMA area.
Because the user base is increasing, as is the number of inexperienced people using the facility, we
have to introduce some measures to insure the facility will remain fully operational to our
customers. Please be aware of the following changes.
·
The door to the FACScan will be
locked 24 hours/day beginning July 1st. Access to the FACScan will only be allowed
to those with access cards, even during normal business hours. This move is in response to the
increased number of service calls to have the FACScan repaired by operators who do not know how to
use the instrument.
·
Individuals discovered using the
flow cytometers with someone else’s username and password will be reported to that individual’s
Principle Investigator. The individual who provided the username and password will have their
accounts frozen, and will not be allowed access to the instruments. New users are REQUIRED to be
trained or checked out by the facility.
·
If it is discovered that anyone is
doing any unauthorized repairs or adjustment to either the instruments or the computers, and those
actions result in a service call, or if anyone is caught stealing property belonging to the
facility, that user’s account will be terminated, the individual’s Principle Investigator will be
notified, and that individual’s lab will be responsible for any financial loss to the core facility.
Please know that these measures are not meant to
keep people from using the flow cytometry core facility. We are trying to keep the facility
operational and continuously available for the research community. We are committed to training all
users; and we specifically want to avoid and prevent misuse of instruments that are needed on a
routine and predictable basis by our broad research community.
If anyone has a question or concern about these
measures, please direct them to John Tigges at 667-4901.
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