BD FACSDiscover S8 Image-Enabled Spectral Cell Sorter

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Funding is requested for the Becton Dickinson FACSDiscover S8, a high-end next-generation cell sorter with unprecedented capabilities. The FACSDiscover S8 combines traditional high-speed electrostatic droplet deflection technology with three novel features: real-time imaging, full-spectrum detection, and 6-way sorting. With these unique capabilities, the FACSDiscover S8 can identify and purify up to 6 unique cell populations based on morphology, spatial resolution of fluorescence signal, and spectrally unmixed fluorescence signals for high-parameter measurements and subtraction of autofluorescence background for increased sensitivity. The integration of the FACSDiscover S8 in the established and highly utilized Columbia Stem Cell Initiative (CSCI) Flow Cytometry Core Facility at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) will provide Users across the entire Columbia University campuses broad access to a currently unavailable technology that will vastly expand the analytical capabilities and research opportunities of our scientific and medical community. The FACSDiscover S8 will facilitate identification of unique cell populations with intricate granularity and will generate deep insights into a broad array of human diseases investigated by the world-renowned researchers at Columbia University, including in research areas such as stem cells, aging, neurodegeneration, cancer biology, immunology, and bioengineering. The FACSDiscover S8 will therefore address an urgent and unmeet for our Users and, given its cutting-edge technology, will also be a powerhouse for new discoveries for many years to come.