North Dakota Flow Cytometry & Cell Sorting Core

The ND-FCCS Core provides flow cytometry and cell sorting capabilities for research and teaching applications within North Dakota and the surrounding area.

The ND-FCCS Core is a joint effort between the departments of Biomedical Sciences and Pathology at the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences.

The Core Staff are available for consultation on experimental design, fluorochrome selection, and data analysis, as well as full-service data acquisition.  Self-service data acquisition is also available for users who have successfully completed the Core training.

What is flow cytometry?

According to the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry, flow cytometry is a method to extract multiparametric quantitative data from individual cells suspended in a fluid. The instrumentation is widely used in immunology and hematopathology.

Benefits of flow cytometry include the following:

• Analytical speed
• Detection sensitivity
• Simultaneous multiparametric measurements
• Sorting of individual cells

ND-FCCS Core Major Instrumentation and Software

• BD FACS Symphony A3
• BD FACS Aria II
• Sony MA900 Cell Sorter
• The Core also maintains 12 copies of FlowJo analysis software, which are shared among users of the Core.

The instruments were purchased with funding from the UND SMHS and the North Dakota IDeA (Institutional Development Award) Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (ND INBRE), respectively.

ND-FCCS Core Location and Hours of Operation

• The Core is in the Janice I. Shuh Suite (Room E420) in the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences building at 1301 N Columbia Rd, Grand Forks, ND
• The Core is open 24/7 for individuals who have successfully completed the Core’s training. Appointments with the Core staff are usually available 9A to 5p, Monday through Friday.

ND-FCCS Core Staff

• Advisory members including the chairs of the departments of Pathology and Basic Sciences and Terry Nelson, associate director, Budget and Facilities Management for the UND SMHS

Ongoing support of service contracts for the facility will be provided by Joshua Wynne, dean of the SMHS and vice president for Health Affairs at UND. Administration of the core will be provided by David Bradley, Ph.D., who will serve as director of the ND-FCCS. Technical and mechanical assistance for flow cytometry and cell sorting will be provided by Steven Adkins; and Linglin Xie, Ph.D., will be the liaison with the ND INBRE investigators to schedule and facilitate the INBRE partners’ use of the ND-FCCS.

The ND INBRE (P20GM103442) will provide support in part for related supplies, travel, software and technical personnel. Investigators utilizing the ND-FCCS core will be requested to include nominal support on new and competing renewal grant proposals to also support the core.