Welcome New Users! 


Here are some quick tips and guidelines to make your first experiment with us as successful as possible! 

Samples for Analysis 

  • Please label your tubes 1, 2, 3, etc.  Make sure that the numbers are large enough so that we can read them easily.  Have your tubes in numerical order.
  • Please do not bring your samples in Styrofoam racks. 
  • Please call ahead to schedule an appointment if your samples need to be run live or are time sensitive (i.e. not fixed or in ethanol waiting for PI cell cycle staining).
  • Make sure that your rack is labeled well so that you can pick it up after your experiment has been run. 
  • The Caliburs and the LSR II require using the polystyrene BD Falcon  352008 tubes (available through the lab supermarket). 
  • Please have your cells at 10 6 cells per ml with a minimum volume of 300ml.
  • Please indicate if you need printouts of your Calibur samples.
  • Fill out all of the fields on our provided data sheets. (Sheets can be downloaded on our Protocols page.)
  • Feel free to check with us if you have any questions regarding which fluorochromes are appropriate for our machines. 

Samples for sorting 

When scheduling a sort, the following information is needed:  

  • Total number of cells to be sorted. 
  • Type of cells being sorted (larger cells need to be run slower for optimal purity.)
  • Are the cells potentially infectious? 
  • Number of cell populations you want back ( i.e. a 1, 2, 3, or 4 – way).
  • What fluorochromes will you be using?
  • Do your cells need to be kept sterile?
  • Based on this information we will choose the best sorter to fill your needs.  

Sorter availability varies; please call 2-3 weeks ahead of your desired sort date. 

What to bring for a sort: 

  • Samples at a final concentration of 1-2 x 10 7 cells per ml,  with a minimum volume of 1ml. 
  • Additional media with 1% serum to dilute the sort sample if necessary. 
  • Media with 20% serum for cell collection. 
  • Control samples (1x10 6 cells each): a negative control and a positive single control for each fluorochrome being used. 
  • All of the above in an ice bucket, unless your cells prefer room temperature. 
  • A data sheet with: name, PI name, speedtype number, phone number, and a description of the sort experiment with controls and colors listed. 

 Remember that if a cancellation needs to be made, we require 24 business hours notice for analysis and 48 business hours notice for sorting to avoid being charged for the time.

For machine specific information, visit our  Sorting Information  page.