FLOW CYTOMETERS
In our experience, there are three kinds of scientists who use flow cytometry: those who are already proficient in flow cytometry and who already know its capabilities; those who use flow cytometry as a part of their research program, but depend on the expertise of the flow cytometry staff for providing reliable service; and those who have just learned about flow cytometry or who are just considering the application of this technology to their research problems. We must serve all three of these user groups efficiently, and to do so, we train principal investigators and their technical staff to perform their own flow cytometry. In 2000 we trained over 100 individuals in 12 separate training sessions. This is in addition to personalized consultation services in which flow cytometry staff spend 20 –30 hours per week with over 100 users of the facility. These individuals became proficient in sample preparation, immunophenotyping and DNA content measurements. They learned how to operate a flow cytometer and to analyze and interpret the acquired data. We charge $35.00 per hour for instrument acquisition time, but data analysis is free. The facility is subsidized by a Cancer Center Research Support Grant from NCI. Our staff, rather than the user, performs all cell-sorting experiments due to the complexity of the instrumentation. We also charge $35.00 per hour for this service. The addition of high speed sorting capability has allowed us to increase our capacity. The reduced sort time has been met with increased user satisfaction because they get their product much faster.
