Spectral Cell Sorter

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This S10 application requests a Cytek Aurora CS Spectral Cell Sorter for Sanford Burnham Prebys (SBP) to replace a 22-year-old FACSAriaIIu sorter that has experienced >45 days of downtime in the past 18 months and lacks service contract support, creating a critical bottleneck for time-sensitive experiments. Moreover, SBP's current cell sorting infrastructure cannot meet the growing demand for complex, high-parameter sorting required for cutting-edge immunological, cancer, aging, neuroscience, and skeletal muscle research by SBP's NIH-funded scientists. The Cytek Aurora CS offers revolutionary advantages including: (1) spectral technology with 64 fluorescence detectors across five lasers, enabling simultaneous analysis of 40+ parameters in a single experiment; (2) superior sensitivity for detecting low-abundance molecules; (3) advanced autofluorescence extraction capabilities to improve signal resolution in samples like brain tissue, primary tumor cells and liver samples. These features substantially improve the precision with which cell populations can be isolated. Further, the Aurora CS sorter offers seamless compatibility with our existing Aurora spectral analyzer for direct transfer of experimental protocols without panel redesign, accelerating research and reducing waste. The instrument will be housed in the SBP Flow Cytometry Shared Resource, which has demonstrated exceptional management of institutional flow cytometry equipment and provides expert technical support to ensure optimal utilization. The acquisition of this instrument is part of SBP's strategic plan to modernize the Flow Cytometry Shared Resource, in operation since 2002, and enhances the research environment by providing graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with access to state-of-the-art technology essential for developing advanced technical skills critical to the nation's future biomedical workforce. The instrument will serve fourteen NIH-funded investigators spanning multiple disciplines, with projects requiring isolation of rare cell populations for use in disease models and molecular studies including single-cell genomic and transcriptomic analyses. The acquisition of this instrument will significantly accelerate discoveries in cancer biology, immunology, neuroscience, aging and regenerative medicine at SBP, while establishing a technological foundation for future collaborative research initiatives.