EMU: ACQUISITION OF FLOW CYTOMETER FOR CELL SEPARATION/CELL SORTER FOR PERFORMING FUNCTIONAL EXPERIMENTS ON CELLS ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT MURINE TISSUES

• Grant number: 23/17166-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Infrastructure Program - Small Medium Sized
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Applied Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Hosana Gomes Rodrigues
• Grantee: Hosana Gomes Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Adriana Souza Torsoni ; Dennys Esper Corrêa Cintra ; Eduardo Rochete Ropelle ; José Rodrigo Pauli ; Marcio Alberto Torsoni

Abstract

Research in Life Sciences is increasingly focused on explaining in a "single cell" way genetic, metabolic/functional change responsible for the etiology of diseases or physiological processes. To this end, techniques such as single cell RNA sequencing are used to identify changes in global gene expression and cell isolation by flow cytometry (Flow Cytometry Cell Sorting) to isolate a certain cell type and thus evaluate functional responses to certain conditions and stimuli. In this sense, it is essential to guarantee a high rate of cell viability of the selected population, as functional assays such as co-culture of selected cells, real-time cellular metabolism analyses, differentiation of progenitor cells... require that the cells be alive at the moment of the analyses. Therefore, it is essential that researchers have the Cell Sorter as close as possible to their laboratories, thus avoiding problems involving the transport of samples to other cities and competition for more restrictive usage hours, reducing the viability of the samples. The model chosen to compose our research center is the Flow Cytometer for Cell Separation/Cell SorterBD FACSMelodyTM equipped with three lasers (blue, red and violet) and capable of analyzing 11 parameters simultaneously (size, complexity and 9 fluorescent markers), allowing a more complete and accurate characterization of a heterogeneous sample.Considering the fact that the samples we analyze often have rare cells or cells expressing markers in low density, the violet laser will allow greater sensitivity in signal detection and identification of these markers, as it is capable of exciting high brightness fluorochromes. Regarding the multi-user nature, we clarify that many projects and researchers will make use of the new equipment and its inclusion in the FCA will modernize and improve the quality of projects, elevating the Institution to a new level with works that will be published in high-impact journals using this modern platform.Taking into account the different research carried out at FCA and which are directly associated with this request, we highlight that this equipment will greatly leverage ongoing and future projects.Even though we have other flow cytometers, of the Cell Sorter type, at UNICAMP, we emphasize that they are in different Faculties and Institutes located in Barão Geraldo, Campinas, 60 km away from the FCA campus, in Limeira. Therefore, transporting samples for more than 1 hour, even on ice, considerably reduces cell viability, making analysis unfeasible. In addition, the use of complementary techniques with the selected cells, such as cell culture, requires the use of infrastructure, such as biosafety cabinets and greenhouses, which are normally not available to researchers from other groups. Therefore, even if the cells arrive in Campinas with a good viability rate, they will need to be transported back to FCA, in Limeira, for the experiments to be carried out. This takes away any possibility of success!Therefore, it is mandatory that we have this equipment available just a few meters from the FCA laboratories.More than 14 research groups in the Health area at FCA plan to use the BD FACSMelody Cell Sorter Flow Cytometer in their projects. (AU)