The Flow Cytometry Core Facility offers a wide variety of training opportunities.

Self-Use Training

Analyzers: (Self-use is available 24/7) 

LSR (contact Ted to schedule training) The course is offered on the first Monday and third Thursday of each month.

Celesta (with HTS) and LSR HTS after regular LSR training (contact Yuehua to schedule)

FlowSight for self-run after one training (contact Susanne to schedule)

Aurora (3 or 4 laser) - for self-run after one training (contact Susanne to schedule)

MACSQuant for self-run after one training (contact Yuehua to schedule)

Sorters

BD FACSMelody - available for two way sorting or 96 well plates, Our simplest to learn. This sorter is very automated, and training begins by observing a scheduled staff-assisted sort, followed by one sort that you schedule and perform during staff hours. Call the core for scheduling. Self-use is available 24/7. 

SONY SH800 - two way sorting only, colinear lasers, quite simple to learn. Training begins by observing a scheduled staff-assisted sort, followed by one sort that you schedule and perform during staff hours. Call the core for scheduling. Self-use is available 24/7. 

BD FACSAria - 4 way sorting or various plates, our most complex sorter. You must demonstrate need to use at least twice a month (Contact Carol for approval). LSR operator training is a prerequisite for Aria training. One Aria (S Aria) is NOT in a biosafety cabinet and is just for BSL-2 work (non-human/non-infectious/non-lentivirus).  Sort training is billed as sorting time and is subject to our cancellation policy: cancellations within 48 hr will be subject to a 2 hr charge. Self-use is available after work hours for the BSL-2+ Arias and 24/7 for the S Aria. 

FlowJo is a powerful off-line flow cytometry analysis software package offered at a significant discount due to our UMass Chan site license. Excellent tutorials can be found at FlowJo.com and we offer introductory training to familiarize you with this popular application. UMass staff can join the subscription by going to FlowJo.com and downloading the most recent version for your operating system. Then go to flowjo.com/FLS/registration/umass.html to register and get your serial number to activate your software. Charges for FlowJo are approximately $55/quarter (based on our current client number) beginning May 1 of each year. To avoid charges for unused licenses, the subscription must be cancelled - to cancel, please contact Dr. Rachel Gerstein. Dr. Gerstein will also train users in FlowJo by request and can be consulted about data analysis strategies

FCS Express is an easy to use cytometry analysis software package also at a discounted site license. FCS Express is designed with Microsoft Office workflow capabilities which streamlines data publication in any Office application. 

When scheduling an analysis with a facility operator the investigator is welcome to participate in the set-up of the experiment. These can be very useful and informative collaborations. We need your participation for cell sorting appointments in order to set the gates for your populations of interest.