There are currently four flow cytometers and a LED 4 colour epi-fluroescence microscope in the core facility.

The BD LSR II is an analyser with four lasers, an argon laser (6 colours), Red HeNe (2 colours), UV laser (2 colours) and violet diode (3 colours) and thus capable of detecting 13 fluorescent signals e.g. FITC, PE, PE-Texas Red or Quantum Dot 605, PE-Cy5, PE-Cy5.5, PE-Cy7, APC, APC-Cy7, Pacific Blue, Pacific Orange, Quantum Dot 605 and violet and green Indo-1 signals. Fluorochrome list.

The BD FACS Canto II is an analyser with three lasers,an argon laser (4 colours), Red HeNe (2 colours) and a violet laser (2 colours) and thus capable of detecting 8 fluorescent signals e.g. FITC, PE, PE-Cy5.5, PE-Cy7, APC, APC-Cy7, Pacific Blue and Pacific Orange. This instrument also has FACS Canto clinical software v2.1 suitable for clinical samples. Fluorochrome list.

The Becton Dickinson FACScan is an analyser with an argon laser capable of detecting 3 fluorescent signals e.g. FITC or GFP, PE and PE-Cy5 or PE-Cy7. Fluorochrome list.

The BD FACSAria I is an analyser and cell sorter with three lasers, an argon laser (6 colours), Red HeNe (3 colours) and violet diode (3 colours) and capable of detecting 12 fluorescent signals e.g. FITC, PE, PE-Texas Red or Quantum Dot 605, PE-Cy5, PE-Cy5.5, PE-Cy7, APC, APC-Cy5.5, APC-Cy7, Pacific Blue, Pacific Orange, Quantum Dot 605. The FACSAria can perform 2 and 4 way sorting as well as automatic cell deposition for sorting onto TC plates or slides. Sort rates are 20,000 cells per second for lymphocytes and 10,000 cells per second for cells >10um via 70 and 100um nozzle sizes at 70 and 20 psi respectively. A 130um nozzle is now available which can sort cells >40um at 5,000 cells per second at 12 psi. Fluorochrome list.

The Flow Cytometry Core Facilitiy LED fluorescent microscope allows excitation at 4 wavelengths at 355, 425, 470 and 540 nm and emissions to be collected at 420, 450, 530 and 600nm, thus allowing the detection of DAPI, FITC & TRITC. This upright microscope is fitted with 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x and 100x objectives. The LED microscope is fitted with a digital 3 MP colour camera connected to a HP computer via a USB 2.0 cable. Images are collected via GXCAPTURE software (GT Vision).