Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

The immune and central nervous systems are comprised of multiple cell types that can be easily distinguished by the expression of specific cell surface receptors, transcription factors, and other intracellular molecules. While several different technologies and molecular approaches currently exist to assay the expression and presence of such molecules, flow cytometry is one of the most widely-used techniques that provides highly sensitive quantitative measurements of protein expression within individual cell populations. In this application, we are requesting funds to acquire a new flow cytometer that will replace aging infrastructure and is capable of simultaneously measuring fluorescent dyes using three lasers and ten detectors. This equipment is user-friendly, includes highly intuitive software, and will greatly enhance the capabilities of our current flow cytometer that is equipped with only four detectors. At Memorial University, a new flow cytometer is absolutely critical to replace aging software and infrastructure, and is necessary to perform high-caliber biomedical research within our multi-user core facility. This infrastructure will serve as a key piece of equipment and permit users to investigate fundamental cellular and physiological mechanisms related to immune and brain function. In the context of immune cell mediated injury, it has become increasingly recognized that immense plasticity exists within individual immune, neural, and progenitor cell populations that can significantly contribute to mechanisms involved in both injury and repair. Access to this equipment will provide rapid and detailed quantification of protein expression within immune and neural cell populations, which will help elucidate molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms. Through the use and application of flow cytometry, it is critical that we continue to further enhance and expand our knowledge of cell phenotype and function, which will ultimately provide valuable insights with respect to future approaches that could be considered to help maintain a healthy homeostatic balance. In addition to its scientific contributions, this infrastructure will also provide a platform and state-of-the-art equipment in the training of present and future high-quality personnel. Furthermore, this application is fulfilling the needs of several individual NSERC-funded research projects at Memorial University and is required to remain internationally competitive and attractive for recruiting faculty, researchers, and trainees in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.