2-laser cytoflex flow cytometer equipped with plate loader - flow cytometry is a cutting-edge laser-based technology which is widely used for analyzing the expression of cell surface and intracellular…

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences awarded the Dominguez Hills Foundation California State University $232,415 on September 1, 2026, under the Biomedical Research and Research Training program (CFDA 93.859) to acquire a 2-laser CytoFLEX flow cytometer equipped with plate loader for the Clinical Science Department at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

The flow cytometer will support analysis of cell surface and intracellular molecule expression, cell type characterization, and multi-parameter single-cell analysis using laser-based fluorescence detection. The equipment addresses clinical hematology and immunology research applications, including characterization of immune cell subsets and phenotypical analysis of blood cancers. The department will integrate the instrument into three major courses: CLS307 (Clinical Hematology), CLS306 (Clinical Immunology), and additional clinical laboratory science curriculum. The principal investigator and two other faculty members have been identified as major users for basic science research and educational project development.

Place of performance is Long Beach, California. The award period runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2027.

2-laser cytoflex flow cytometer equipped with plate loader - flow cytometry is a cutting-edge laser-based technology which is widely used for analyzing the expression of cell surface and intracellular molecules, characterizing and defining different cell types in a heterogeneous cell population, assessing the purity of isolated subpopulations, analyzing cell size and volume, and simultaneous multi-parameter analysis of single cells. IT is predominantly used to measure fluorescence intensity produced by fluorescent-labeled antibodies detecting proteins or ligands that bind to specific cell-associated molecules, for instance CD56 and CD16 on natural killer cells or CD138 and CD49D on multiple myeloma cancer cells. When a cell suspension is run through the cytometer, sheath fluid is used to hydrodynamically focus the cell suspension through a small nozzle. The tiny stream of fluid takes the cells past the laser light one cell at a time. Light scattered from the cells or particles is detected as they go through the laser beam. Fluorescence detectors measure the fluorescence emitted from positively stained cells or particles. Of all the application fields, clinical hematology and immunology are areas where flow cytometry is extremely helpful in characterization of human immune cell subsets and more importantly elucidating the functional and phenotypical characterization of blood cancers. We request this cutting-edge technology through this S10 grant as currently IT does not exist in the clinical science department at csudh and is urgently needed both for basic science research and for integration into clinical laboratory science (CLS) curriculum. Several potential major users have been identified in CLS department including the PI and 2 other faculties needing the instruments to help develop their research or educational projects. Three major courses which require integration of this technology include CLS307 (clinical hematology), CLS306 (clinical immunology), and CLS401(introduction to clinical virology/mycology). This technology is critical for our projects which deal with analysis of surface protein expression of blood cancer cells and important immune cells such as cytotoxic t cells and natural killer cells. This will help US explore more thoroughly the mechanisms underlying blood cancer pathogenesis particularly therapy resistance. All in all, we are positive that purchasing a flow cytometer through S10 grant will remarkably enhance our research growth and will hugely promote the standard and quality of education in our CLS program.