Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Flow Cytometry Facility

University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta
What the facility does

Offers state-of-the-art analytical flow cytometry, cell sorting, and data analysis.

Areas of expertise

Flow Cytometry is the study of cells (“cytometry”) in fluid (“flow”). The technique enables multi-parametric analysis of the physical and chemical characteristics of cells at a high rate (over a 1000 cells/second). Flow Cytometry is widely used to study many aspects of cell biology, and routinely used in disease diagnosis (especially blood cancers), and in discovery and clinical research.

The University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Flow Cytometry Facility is one of the leading image cytometry centers in both Canada and internationally. Our facility’s unique service offerings include flow cytometry analysis at Biosafety Levels 1 and 2 (BSL-1 and BSL-2), as well as imaging cytometry and genomic cytometry. Our instruments are suited for high parameter immune-phenotyping, rare population analysis, advanced cell sorting, and small particle analysis, among others.

In addition to instrument and software services, we offer a comprehensive training program that includes theoretical training and hands-on training, and monthly workshops on advance topics in flow cytometry and regular commercial tutorials.

The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry also offers a Cell Imaging Core and a Lipidomics Core Facility.

Research services
  • Core staff assisted or user-run flow cytometry, sorting, and image cytometry acquisition
  • Comprehensive hands-on training for each piece of equipment
  • Regular theoretical courses
  • Advanced training for self-sorts on the sorters
  • Assistance with development and optimization of cytometric techniques and methods
  • Assistance with antibody panel design
  • Guidance in performing longitudinal and cross platform studies with regard to data acquisition
  • Software for data analysis
  • Software training and analysis assistance
  • Consistent and extensive instrumentation quality control
Sectors of application
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Fisheries and aquaculture
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
EquipmentFunction
Attune NxT Flow Cytometer (Thermo Fisher Scientific)4 laser (405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 638 nm) instrument that uses acoustic focusing. Ideally suited for rare event analysis.
BD LSRFortessa X-20 Cell Analyzer (Becton Dickinson Biosciences)5 laser (355 nm, 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 633 nm) cytometer. Suited for high parameter cell analysis (BSL2 instrument).
BD LSRFortessa-SORP (Special Order Research Products) Flow Cytometer (Becton Dickinson Biosciences)5 laser (355 nm, 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 633 nm) cytometer. Suited for high parameter cell analysis.
BD FACSAria III Cell Sorter (Becton Dickinson Biosciences)5 laser (355 nm, 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, 633 nm) cell sorter (BSL1 sorter).
Sony Biotechnologies MA900 Cell Sorter4 laser (488 nm, 405 nm, 561 nm, and 638 nm) microfluidic chip-based cell sorter (BSL2 sorter).
Cytek Aurora Flow Cytometer5 laser (355 nm, 405 nm, 488 nm, 561 nm, and 640 nm) spectral cytometer with a 65 detector array, capable of analyzing 40+ parameters.
NanoView Biosciences Inc. ExoView R200 imaging platformFully automated, purification-free detection of exosomes, extracellular vesicles (EVs), and viruses.
Beckman Coulter CytoFLEX-S Flow CytometerExcellent sensitivity of detection using avalanche photodiodes, violet SSC for small particle detection, and a 96-well plate loader for high throughput applications. Limited to small particle work.

Cytek Northern Lights 3000 Flow Cytometry System

Digital spectral flow cytometer, equipped with 3 lasers (405 nm, 488 nm, and 640 nm) and a full spectrum profiling (FSP) detection system.

Cytek Amnis ImageStreamX MkII Imaging Flow Cytometer

3 lasers (488 nm, 642 nm, 405 nm), capable of analyzing 9 fluorochromes, side scatter, and bright field images. 20X, 40X, 60X magnification and autosampler.