Flow Cytometry

Check out the movie below describing the FACS system

bdfacs- this link descrbes the inner workings of the FACS machine
Dr. Al-Ghoul- news about FACS awarded to the Department of Biological Sciences

Protocol for cell sorter experiments

Before any work can be done in this facility, you need to have an approved protocol, timeline, and expected outcome. For this, you (and the student, trainee, and/or technician directly involved in the project) need to meet with the facility director and specialist. Before this meeting, please answer the following questions in writing and expect to discuss them with the facility director and specialist.

1. What is the size of individual cells?
2. What is the expected size in solution that will be seen by the FACS machine? Specifically, are they expected to adhere into multicellular clumps or to merge into bigger cells?
3. What is the source of the cells?
4. How were they pre-treated?
5. Is there infectious agents including bacteria, fungi and viruses?
6. Are there any biohazards such as carcinogens and radioactive substances?
7. Did you read the instructions on "How to prepare your cells for sorting"?
8. Do you expect your cells to be sorted by their fluorescence labeling? If so, what dyes have you used or will you use?
9. Are you sorting the cells or just scanning them?
10. If you are sorting, what is your expected yield? what solution should the cell be sorted in? what solution will the output cells be in?
11. Did you provide the flow cytometry facility with a protocol from a paper in a peer-reviewed journal?
12. Do you have all your reagents, and supplies for this experiment?
13. Do you have positive controls?

Standards FACS Facility Research Appointment Sheet
Printable PDF Format

Requirements before scheduling an appointment:

1. Your protocol has been approved by the facility specialist and director
2. We have an electronic and a hard copy of your protocol

Because of ongoing routine maintenance, optic adjustments and quality control as well as projects by other users, it is REQUIRED that you also request your appointment AT LEAST three days in advance by signing up here AND emailing both the facility technical specialist (Abdelrahman Elarja; aelarja@csu.edu ) and director (Dr Walid Al-Ghoul; walghoul@csu.edu).

please click on the link above for the PDF file

** Daily facility operation hours are 9am till 5pm As a general rule, please, allow at least two hours for your experimental run. Therefore, it is imperative that the last experimental session is planned to start no later than 3:00pm unless previous arrangements were made with the operator to stay later.