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Flow Cytometry Data is Beautiful
So, why not make your latest flow analysis into a work of art? Read on for info regarding the "Science in Art" exhibit, or visit uchisciart.org for more details.
Science in Art 2008 Issues Call for Art
Science in Art, a juried art exhibit that features art from scientist-artists from The University of Chicago, Argonne and Fermi National Laboratories and Chicago artists whose subject is science, is accepting art submissions for the Science in Art exhibit 2008 and will accept submissions through Friday, August 22, 2008. The exhibit was developed in response to the need for educating the public about the process, challenges and benefits of science and technology.
Submitted: 24 June 2008, 9:32 am
'Not all DI water are alike' or 'Why the Aria Broke.'
Symptoms: Anything we put through the FACSAria, came out dead. Not like exploded, obliterated dead, just permeable to trypan blue, not-able-to grow, dead. Secondly, tandems looked weird. For example, PE-Cy7 would have a PE-Cy7 positive population, but then it would also have a PE positive population, as if the Cy7 portion of the tandem was getting quenched. However, the PECy7 antibody was fine since it looked normal on the MoFlo.
Troubleshooting: Obviously, the 1st thing to check is the buffer. So, I collected some PBS exiting the Aria's flow cell, mixed that buffer with some cells, and ran them on the instrument and checked them under the microscope. They were fine, suggesting the buffer itself was not killing the cells. I then turned to the (HPLC) valve that controls sample uptake. I disconnected the sample line, after the valve, but before the flow cell, collected some cells, and then reran them. They were fine again, suggesting that it's not the HPLC valve tha (click on title for more...)
Submitted: 20 June 2008, 9:06 am
The new flow cytometry Zune?
So, not really flow cytometry news, but a mockup of the soon-to-be-released special edition, "Joy Division" zune struck me as oddly familiar. The etching on the back. Anyone see a bunch of overlaid flow histograms ala Flowjo? Flow cytometry is now influencing pop culture, or at least pop culture from the late 1970s! (click on title for more...)
Submitted: 5 June 2008, 8:36 am
University of Chicago Cancer Research Center achieves Comprehensive Status
For those of you who are not aware of the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center (UCCRC) on campus, I'll share a bit of good news. First of all, the Cancer Research Center Support Grant has been renewed for 5 years, and secondly, the UCCRC has achieved Comprehensive status. This is sort of a big deal, considering in the entire country, there are only 41 Comprehensive Cancer Research Centers, and in Illinois, there are only 2 (the other one being the purple people downtown). Being a Comprehensive Cancer Research Center basically means we've got really great researchers and support staff working on attacking malignant diseases, or as the NCI likes to say, "Comprehensive Cancer Research Centers are characterized by scientific excellence and the capability to integrate a diversity of research approaches to focus on the problem of cancer."
So, what does all this have to do with flow cytometry? Well, a big part of the UCCRC grant was the availability and access UCCRC mem (click on title for more...)
Submitted: 30 May 2008, 12:51 pm
ISAC Wrap-up Part 2
Along the same vein as the previous post, the Education committee presented an outline of their plans to bring flow cytometry education to the general scientific public. In an attempt to standardize the information being presented to users of flow cytometry, the Education committee has decided to generate a basic flow cytometry course aimed at flow novices. The course would initially be offered as a tutorial tacked on to the front end of other disciplines' meetings, who have used flow cytometry in the past. From there, plans to make it available as an online course administered through ISAC were discussed. Lastly, it was proposed that this course become the template for training used by core facility directors in training their user base. The Education committee still seems to be developing these ideas and reworking their strategies, so it may be awhile yet until we see anything concrete. Don't know yet if there will be an official "accreditation" process for this type of course, (click on title for more...)
Submitted: 27 May 2008, 9:47 am
Troubleshooting: Obviously, the 1st thing to check is the buffer. So, I collected some PBS exiting the Aria's flow cell, mixed that buffer with some cells, and ran them on the instrument and checked them under the microscope. They were fine, suggesting the buffer itself was not killing the cells. I then turned to the (HPLC) valve that controls sample uptake. I disconnected the sample line, after the valve, but before the flow cell, collected some cells, and then reran them. They were fine again, suggesting that it's not the HPLC valve tha (click on title for more...)
So, not really flow cytometry news, but a mockup of the soon-to-be-released special edition, "Joy Division" zune struck me as oddly familiar. The etching on the back. Anyone see a bunch of overlaid flow histograms ala Flowjo? Flow cytometry is now influencing pop culture, or at least pop culture from the late 1970s! (click on title for more...) So, what does all this have to do with flow cytometry? Well, a big part of the UCCRC grant was the availability and access UCCRC mem (click on title for more...)
The Flow Cytometry Facility at the University of Chicago provides instrumentation, education, and expertise for the University's Faculty. The mission of the facility is three-fold:
- Equip the facility with cutting-edge technology and expertise
- Pursue technology and application development
- Provide instrument and applcation training and education
We encourage you to explore our services outlined in this web site.
