Project Grant S10GM154260

RESEARCH FLOW CYTOMETER FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CAPACITY BUILDING AT ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO ACQUIRE A BECKMAN COULTER CYTOFLEX INSTRUMENT FOR FLOW CYTOMETRY THAT WILL BE HOUSED AT ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY IN A COLLABORATIVE LAB SPACE TO SUPPORT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS IN BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND BIOMEDICALLY-RELATED DISCIPLINES. FLOW CYTOMETRY IS A USEFUL TECHNIQUE FOR THE ANALYSES OF CELLS AND PARTICLES. THE NUMBER OF PARAMETERS THAT CAN BE RAPIDLY ASSESSED FROM CELLS OR PARTICLES IN SOLUTION IS WIDE RANGING AND INCLUDES COUNTING CELLS OR PARTICLES, ASSESSING SIZE, CELL CYCLE STAGE, PROTEIN EXPRESSION, AND MODIFICATIONS, AMONG OTHERS. THE MAJOR, MINOR, AND FUTURE USERS OF THE INSTRUMENT INCLUDE RESEARCH-ACTIVE FACULTY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES WITH A VARIETY OF RESEARCH INTERESTS THAT INCLUDE IMMUNOLOGY, CANCER, MICROBIOLOGY, GENETICS, AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. IMPORTANT USERS ALSO INCLUDE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN CORE BIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY COURSEWORK AND ADVANCED BIOLOGY CLASSES LIKE TOXICOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY & INFECTION THAT OFFER COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCES (CURE). THE CYTOFLEX INSTRUMENT HAS BEEN SELECTED BECAUSE 1) IT IS INCREDIBLY VERSATILE AND CAN ACCOMMODATE THE DIVERSITY OF RESEARCH AND USERS AT OUR INSTITUTION; 2) IT IS EASY TO USE AND MAINTAIN, WITHOUT SPECIALLY-TRAINED STAFF; AND 3) IT WILL EXPOSE UNDERGRADUATES TO INSTRUMENTATION THAT IS COMMONLY FOUND IN STATE-OF-THE ART RESEARCH AND CLINICAL DIAGNOSTIC LABORATORIES, THUS BETTER PREPARING THEM FOR THE BIOMEDICAL WORKFORCE. FACULTY AND STUDENT ACCESS TO THIS KIND OF TECHNOLOGY WILL BENEFIT ALL USERS, INCREASE RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITY, FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF ST. MARY'S BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CULTURE, IMPROVE STEM EDUCATION, AND BE IMPORTANT FOR RECRUITING AND RETAINING FUTURE FACULTY.