Grant: Research Tools and Instruments - Category 1 (<$150,000)

The proposed equipment, a desk top flow cytometer (the Guava EasyCyte Mini with Side Scatter Upgrade and Advanced Assay Suite), is capable of measuring cell concentration, cell viability, cell cycle phase, and apoptosis. It is also capable of detecting biomolecules, such as proteins, produced by the cells. The proposed equipment will be used to measure cell concentration and viability within a population. Further, it will be used to assign the cells in the population to subpopulations on the basis of position in the cell cycle or in apoptosis, and to assess the relative protein productivity of the cells.    Growing cell populations will be housed in the proposed carbon dioxide incubator and will be stored in the proposed ultra low temperature freezer. Samples awaiting analysis with the desk top flow cytometer will also be stored in the proposed ultra low temperature freezer.    Data collected through assays performed with the proposed desk top flow cytometer will be used to develop models of the culture system and to develop culture optimization strategies.    Proteins produced from mammalian cell culture represent a rapidly growing class of biopharmaceuticals. Both highly qualified personal and robust models and optimization strategies for highly reproducible mammalian cell culture systems continue to be in demand. Moreover, as the market continues to expand, a growing shortage of HQP skilled in animal cell technology has developed. The research and the training of HQP enabled by the proposed equipment are highly relevant to the biopharmaceutical industry and to the biotechnology industry in general.