Access Policies
Approvals for Flow Analysis or Cell Sorting
Approval must be obtained from the facility manager for cell analysis or sorting. After an initial consultation, the user may gain access to the lab through the on-line scheduler. All requests for use of the FACSAria must be made by contacting Barb Carolus. Please be aware that occasionally, the facility is booked more than one week in advance.
Cell Suspensions
Cell suspensions are typically prepared in the investigator's laboratory and brought to the Cytometry Core Facility ready to be run. There is a wet lab available in the facility with limited equipment for use in the preparation of samples, if needed.
Samples & Containers
Samples must be provided in 12x75 mm polystyrene (Falcon #2054) tubes. It is the responsibility of the investigator to be certain that the cells are aggregate free. It is recommended that the samples be filtered using 30um mesh to remove clumps prior to bringing samples to the lab. Clogging can damage the ceramic flow tip, and is time consuming to replace. The recommended sample concentration is 1x106 cells per ml in 0.5 ml of fixative. 1-3% paraformaldehyde is the recommended fixative for most cell types.
Samples derived from human sources are not accepted unless they are fixed or previously approved by the Facility Manager. All samples must be free from infectious agents. When bringing samples for multi-parameter analysis, single positive controls must be provided for each color used.
Restrictions
The FACSAria uses a jet-in-air fluidics system, which potentially produces aerosols, especially when sorting. These aerosols may contain infectious agents, such as hepatitis or HIV, when sourced from live human tissue. In addition, sorting known infectious agents such as bacteria or cells transfected or transformed with infectious agents also pose a risk from aerosol exposure. Since this aerosol is under pressure, potential for infectivity is theoretically much higher than incidental exposure during analysis.
 |
|
Accounts
An account or grant number must be included with each sample run. Charges are based on 15 minute increments for analysis or sorting. It is the responsibility of each user to keep his/her User Profile updated regarding account information, phone number, and email address.
Because of the complexity of the FACSAria, there is a one hour setup charge for each sorting session.
If you are not affiliated with the Arizona Universities, please contact the Cytometry Core Facility for an initial consultation and service quotes.
Consultation Requirements
We provide personalized services. A consultation is required before the first scheduled session to discuss controls needed and to expedite any special requests. This can easily be accomplished by phone or email.
Publishing Data
It would be appreciated if any publication which includes results of data produced from the facility that the Cytometry Core Facility is mentioned in the acknowledgement section and that a copy of the paper be provided to the facility for filing. Please see Publishing Data.
