General Contact Details
Overview of Services
FlowCore - MHTP Node, located at the Monash Medical Centre campus, is a service-based technology platform, specialising in analysis and cell sorting through flow cytometry. The facility consists of two user-operated flow cytometers that are utilised for analysis only, and one staff-operated high speed cell sorter. FlowCore – MHTP provides a subsidised fee structure for all researchers at the Hudson Institute and Monash University. All our instruments are equipped with five major laser lines (355nm/405nm/488nm/561nm/640nm) and provide robust features for implementing complex multicolor experiments.
Cell sorting
The BD FACS Aria Fusion high-speed cell sorter is equipped with five lasers (355nm/405nm/488nm/561nm/640nm) and can be configured with 70, 85 and 100 µm nozzles, depending on the client's samples. The instrument can safely process samples within a custom-built Class II biosafety cabinet and is capable of sorting up to four cell subsets simultaneously. The cell sorter is operated by experienced staff during regular work hours (Monday - Friday, 9:30am - 5pm).
Cell analysers
- BD Fortessa X-20
- The BD Fortessa X-20 is a conventional flow cytometer equipped with five lasers (355nm/405nm/488nm/561nm/640nm) and 18 fluorescence detectors to allow detection of a wide range of fluorochromes. The instrument can be used in conjunction with a High Throughput Sampler for sample acquisition in multiwell plates.
- Cytek Aurora 5L
- The Cytek Aurora is a spectral cytometer equipped with five lasers (355nm/405nm/488nm/561nm/640nm) and 67 detection channels (64 fluorescence channels, FSC, blue laser SSC, violet laser SSC). Its 'Full Spectrum Profiling' technology across all lasers allows for highly-complex antibody panels with up to 40 different fluorochromes in one sample. The Cytek Aurora comes with a plate loader for sample acquisition in 96-well plates or 40-tube racks.
- FlowCore MHTP is equipped with 2 Cytek Aurora instruments with identical configurations.
Provisions for Staff Assistance, Data Analysis and Training
- Staff Assistance:
- Dedicated operator assistance is provided only for the cell sorter. Qualified researchers will be expected to operate the analytical flow cytometers independently following a free requisite training course. If you need help, just ask. During regular business hours, staff members are happy to provide advice or assistance as needed. Please be mindful that our first priority is to provide service for our cell sorting clients. Thank you for your patience as we endeavour to provide assistance as quickly as it is reasonably possible.
- Post-acquisition data analysis:
- FlowCore staff are happy to assist our clients with the analysis of their acquired data using FlowJo analysis software. Please be advised that FlowCore staff do not have the expertise or time to provide advanced training or extended assistance. As time permits, we can provide rudimentary guidance and brief intervals of assistance to clients who are using the FlowJo software application. For clients who prefer to use the FlowJo software on their own computers, FlowCore offers a subsidised lease program. Please contact Kathryn Flanagan for licensing details.
- For Cytek Aurora users wanting to do post-acquisition analysis, a workstation equipped with SpectroFlo is available in the FlowCore MHTP office and can be booked in the corresponding calendar.
Education – Standard Training Provisions
- FlowCore's Requisite Training Course
- Please refer to the above section on training and staff assistance for a brief outline of FlowCore's provisions for training clients in the use of our analytical instruments. Our two hour requisite courses provide a basic understanding of how flow cytometers work, how this impacts experimental design, what controls you will need and what to expect from your data. Users will also recieve an overview of the corresponding data acquisition software application: BD FACSDiva for BD instruments and SpectroFlo for the Cytek Aurora. Additionally this course will include specific instructions on relevant policies for instrument usage during and after regular business hours.
- Please note that there are individual training courses for the conventional and spectral flow cytometers. Users trained on the conventional cytometers require a second training before being permitted to use the spectral cytometer, and vice versa. The conventional analyser training course takes two hours and FlowCore MHTP staff will provide stained compensation beads for a basic acquisition and compensation training. The Cytek Aurora requisite training course takes approx. three hours, and participants are asked to bring a fully-designed antibody panel, reference controls, and a limited number of experimental samples that can be evaluated for educational purposes during this session.
- FlowCore's Educational Resources
FlowCore MHTP Staff
FlowCore MHTP is run by two dedicated full-time staff with more than 20 years combined experience in flow cytometry. Services provided by our staff include operation of the cell sorter, provision of training and assistance for the analysers, and consultation for researchers requiring help with experimental design or data analysis.
General Contact Details
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