Flow Cytometry Core

The Flow Cytometry Core Facility (FCCF) provides flow cytometry services for analysis and sorting of cells as well as expert consultation for project/experiment planning.

We are committed to help you achieve your scientific goals. Our primary objectives are productivity, efficiency, and innovation. We understand the need to produce data in a timely and cost effective manner. We assist researchers from the initial stages of experimental planning through data acquisition, analysis, and final presentation of results.

Instruments and Services

Description, Rates and Location	Cytek Aurora 5L The two Cytek Aurora 5L are spectral flow analyzers equipped with “UV” (350nm), “Violet” (405nm), “Blue” (488nm), “Yellow-Green” (561nm), and “Red” (633nm) lasers. These instruments collect data from 64 fluorescence channels and employ spectral unmixing to separate fluorochromes with very close emission profiles. Aurora ‘Freya’ includes the v1.5 Cytek Autoloader with mixing capabilities and temperature control (96 well plates only). Aurora ‘Skadi’ includes the v2 Cytek Autoloader with platform shake capabilities (40 tube rack, 96 well plates, 384 well plates). Rates: BU/BMC: Self-operated $71/Assisted $99 per hour External Academic: Self-operated $116/Assisted $150 per hour External Commercial: Self-operated $173/Assisted $208 per hour Hours: 24 hours / 7 days a week Billing policy: Users are billed for the greater of time reserved or actual time used on the instrument. Cancellation policy: Users must cancel their reservations 24 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges. Location: 650 Albany St., Room 322 Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑ BD FACSARIA II SORP / Beckman Coulter MoFlo Astrios BD FACSARIA II SORP is a 5 laser, 18 color cell sorter. The lasers in this instrument are “UV” (355nm), “Violet” (402nm), “Blue” (488nm), “Yellow Green” (561nm), and “Red” (633nm). The ARIA II can sort up to 4 populations simultaneously into tubes of varying sizes, tissue culture plates (using the ACDU apparatus), and onto individual slides. The acquisition workstation is a PC with BD FACS Diva 8. The FCS 3.0 data files can be exported and analyzed using other applications such as FlowJo. MoFlo Astrios six-way jet-in-air sorter and is equipped with five lasers enabling 27-parameter detection capability including 2 FSC PMT for microparticle resolution. This instrument also allows sorting into 96, 384 and 1536 plates to facilitate downstream single cell transcriptional analysis, and employs index sorting to pair the flow cytometry proteomic signatures with genomic data from scRNASeq and DNA analysis. The FCS 3.0 data files can be exported and analyzed using other applications such as FlowJo. BD FACSARIA II SORP and MoFlo Astrios are operated exclusively by the FCCF staff at this time. Billing policy: Users are billed for the greater of time reserved or actual time used on the instrument. Cancellation policy: For cancellations, users must cancel their reservations 24 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges. All cancellations are managed by the core staff and you must reach out to staff to cancel your sorts. Rates: Monday-Friday (10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.) Regular hours BU/BMC: $106 per hour External Academic: $132 per hour External Commercial: $189 per hour Monday-Friday (5:30 -11 p.m.) Sat-Sun, holidays (night/weekend) BU/BMC: $130 per hour External Academic: $156 per hour External Commercial: $213 per hour Location: 650 Albany St., Room 325 Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑ 10X Genomics Chromium X 10X Genomics Chromium X unit enables seamless cell preparation for scRNAseq transcriptomics within the FCCF core. Together with BU Sequencing and Microarray core, we create a workflow to perfect the sample quality and hence the success and reproducibility of all experiments, from sorting to sequencing. The FCCF operator will sort cells and process them within the FCCF (this includes cell count, cell capture using the Chromium X and RT using the Bio-Rad thermocycler), then transfer the resulting sample to the Single Cell/Sequencing & Microarray Core for the library construction and sequencing. We also work with samples that can be captured in Chromium X omitting the sorting step. Cancellation policy: Users must cancel their reservations 48 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges. Rates (Reagents not included): BU/BMC: $106 per hour External Academic: $132 per hour External Commercial: $189 per hour Hours: Monday-Friday (9 a.m.-5 p.m. or per request) Location: 650 Albany St., Room 320 Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑ Consultation Services We offer one-on-one or group consulting with a FCCF staff member for assistance in a variety of areas, including but not limited to the following: experimental design, panel development/optimization, data analysis/interpretation, data preparation for publications, presentations, or grant submissions. Alternatively, if you seek full fee-for-service options, panel design/optimization, sample processing, data acquisition, and data analysis can be performed exclusively by FCCF staff. Cancellation policy: Users must cancel their reservations 48 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges. Hours: Monday-Friday (9 a.m.-5 p.m. or per request) Rates: BU/BMC: $80 per hour External Academic: $92 per hour External Commercial: $139 per hour Location: 650 Albany St., Room 326 Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑ Data Analysis Data analysis can be performed on the FlowJo PC workstation. Users who want to analyze FACSCalibur-acquired data within the CellQuest software may book the FACSCalibur station for analysis use. No training is required to run data analysis. The FlowJo PC workstation is capable to process data from all our BD and BC cytometers, while the CellQuest Pro on the FACSCalibur station would only accept data from the FACSCalibur. FlowJo: A windows 10 PC workstation running FlowJo 10.3 Hours: 24 hours / 7 days a week Rates: BU/BMC: $22 per hour External Academic: $33 per hour External Commercial: $44 per hour Users are billed for the actual time of usage. Location: 650 Albany St., Room 320 Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑ FlowJo Academic License Seats on our FlowJo site license are available for BU/BMC users. To obtain FlowJo through our site license, please download the latest version of FlowJo, create a cloud user account using your BU email that will serve as your cloud ID, and send us an e-mail request. We will send you an invite to join our license pool. You may log in on up to 4 computers, but only on one station at a time. Each computer needs FlowJo downloaded and installed and the actual analysis is run locally, not in the cloud; the cloud only provides the authentication to run the software. If you are a PI and you have a shared lab station that multiple users utilize for their analyses, we advise you to create an account with your email as ID and a common password that can be used by all your staff. Please be aware that if someone is logged into the FlowJo cloud system with lab account shared among multiple people, other people should not log in from other stations; such action would interrupt the analysis session on the first machine causing data loss. You will be billed by the FCCF quarterly ($100/quarter a year). Free upgrades are included. Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑ Grant Application Support We can provide you with a support letter for your grant application that would describe our facility and emphasize the key features and services that would benefit your proposed project. Please contact us for more details. For our records, please let us know when your FCCF-supported grants are awarded. Book it now on iLab. BACK TO TOP↑

Description, Rates and Location

Cytek Aurora 5L

The two Cytek Aurora 5L are spectral flow analyzers equipped with “UV” (350nm), “Violet” (405nm), “Blue” (488nm), “Yellow-Green” (561nm), and “Red” (633nm) lasers. These instruments collect data from 64 fluorescence channels and employ spectral unmixing to separate fluorochromes with very close emission profiles.

Aurora ‘Freya’ includes the v1.5 Cytek Autoloader with mixing capabilities and temperature control (96 well plates only).
Aurora ‘Skadi’ includes the v2 Cytek Autoloader with platform shake capabilities (40 tube rack, 96 well plates, 384 well plates).

Rates:

BU/BMC: Self-operated $71/Assisted $99 per hour
External Academic: Self-operated $116/Assisted $150 per hour
External Commercial: Self-operated $173/Assisted $208 per hour

Hours: 24 hours / 7 days a week

Billing policy: Users are billed for the greater of time reserved or actual time used on the instrument.

Cancellation policy: Users must cancel their reservations 24 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges.

Location: 650 Albany St., Room 322

Book it now on iLab.

BD FACSARIA II SORP / Beckman Coulter MoFlo Astrios

BD FACSARIA II SORP is a 5 laser, 18 color cell sorter. The lasers in this instrument are “UV” (355nm), “Violet” (402nm), “Blue” (488nm), “Yellow Green” (561nm), and “Red” (633nm). The ARIA II can sort up to 4 populations simultaneously into tubes of varying sizes, tissue culture plates (using the ACDU apparatus), and onto individual slides. The acquisition workstation is a PC with BD FACS Diva 8. The FCS 3.0 data files can be exported and analyzed using other applications such as FlowJo.
MoFlo Astrios six-way jet-in-air sorter and is equipped with five lasers enabling 27-parameter detection capability including 2 FSC PMT for microparticle resolution. This instrument also allows sorting into 96, 384 and 1536 plates to facilitate downstream single cell transcriptional analysis, and employs index sorting to pair the flow cytometry proteomic signatures with genomic data from scRNASeq and DNA analysis. The FCS 3.0 data files can be exported and analyzed using other applications such as FlowJo.

BD FACSARIA II SORP and MoFlo Astrios are operated exclusively by the FCCF staff at this time.

Billing policy: Users are billed for the greater of time reserved or actual time used on the instrument.

Cancellation policy: For cancellations, users must cancel their reservations 24 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges. All cancellations are managed by the core staff and you must reach out to staff to cancel your sorts.

Rates:

Monday-Friday (10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.) Regular hours

BU/BMC: $106 per hour
External Academic: $132 per hour
External Commercial: $189 per hour

Monday-Friday (5:30 -11 p.m.) Sat-Sun, holidays (night/weekend)

BU/BMC: $130 per hour
External Academic: $156 per hour
External Commercial: $213 per hour

Location: 650 Albany St., Room 325

Book it now on iLab.

10X Genomics Chromium X

10X Genomics Chromium X unit enables seamless cell preparation for scRNAseq transcriptomics within the FCCF core. Together with BU Sequencing and Microarray core, we create a workflow to perfect the sample quality and hence the success and reproducibility of all experiments, from sorting to sequencing.

The FCCF operator will sort cells and process them within the FCCF (this includes cell count, cell capture using the Chromium X and RT using the Bio-Rad thermocycler), then transfer the resulting sample to the Single Cell/Sequencing & Microarray Core for the library construction and sequencing. We also work with samples that can be captured in Chromium X omitting the sorting step.

Cancellation policy: Users must cancel their reservations 48 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges.

Rates (Reagents not included):

BU/BMC: $106 per hour
External Academic: $132 per hour
External Commercial: $189 per hour

Hours: Monday-Friday (9 a.m.-5 p.m. or per request)

Location: 650 Albany St., Room 320

Book it now on iLab.

Consultation Services

We offer one-on-one or group consulting with a FCCF staff member for assistance in a variety of areas, including but not limited to the following: experimental design, panel development/optimization, data analysis/interpretation, data preparation for publications, presentations, or grant submissions. Alternatively, if you seek full fee-for-service options, panel design/optimization, sample processing, data acquisition, and data analysis can be performed exclusively by FCCF staff.

Cancellation policy: Users must cancel their reservations 48 hours in advance of their scheduled appointment to avoid charges.

Hours: Monday-Friday (9 a.m.-5 p.m. or per request)

Rates:

BU/BMC: $80 per hour
External Academic: $92 per hour
External Commercial: $139 per hour

Location: 650 Albany St., Room 326

Book it now on iLab.

Data Analysis

Data analysis can be performed on the FlowJo PC workstation. Users who want to analyze FACSCalibur-acquired data within the CellQuest software may book the FACSCalibur station for analysis use. No training is required to run data analysis. The FlowJo PC workstation is capable to process data from all our BD and BC cytometers, while the CellQuest Pro on the FACSCalibur station would only accept data from the FACSCalibur.

FlowJo: A windows 10 PC workstation running FlowJo 10.3
Hours: 24 hours / 7 days a week
Rates:

BU/BMC: $22 per hour
External Academic: $33 per hour
External Commercial: $44 per hour

Users are billed for the actual time of usage.

Location: 650 Albany St., Room 320

Book it now on iLab.

FlowJo Academic License

Seats on our FlowJo site license are available for BU/BMC users. To obtain FlowJo through our site license, please download the latest version of FlowJo, create a cloud user account using your BU email that will serve as your cloud ID, and send us an e-mail request. We will send you an invite to join our license pool. You may log in on up to 4 computers, but only on one station at a time. Each computer needs FlowJo downloaded and installed and the actual analysis is run locally, not in the cloud; the cloud only provides the authentication to run the software.

If you are a PI and you have a shared lab station that multiple users utilize for their analyses, we advise you to create an account with your email as ID and a common password that can be used by all your staff. Please be aware that if someone is logged into the FlowJo cloud system with lab account shared among multiple people, other people should not log in from other stations; such action would interrupt the analysis session on the first machine causing data loss. You will be billed by the FCCF quarterly ($100/quarter a year). Free upgrades are included.

Book it now on iLab.

Grant Application Support

We can provide you with a support letter for your grant application that would describe our facility and emphasize the key features and services that would benefit your proposed project. Please contact us for more details.

For our records, please let us know when your FCCF-supported grants are awarded.

Book it now on iLab.

How to Schedule

Please login to iLab system to schedule equipment time or services. For new users please follow the steps outlined in Information for New Users.

Contact

Anna Belkina, MD, PhD
(617) 358-7732 | belkina@bu.edu
650 Albany Street, Room 326
Boston, MA 02118

Location

Flow Cytometry Core Facility
650 Albany Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02118

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