Boise State University detailed the work of its Flow Cytometry facility this past week.
This facility is focused on the isolation of certain cell types for further study. Analysis of the cells consists of determining their physical and chemical characteristics.
“The instrumentation in this facility is able to isolate and collect rare cell types such as stem cells or strains of bacteria from complex mixtures,” Denise Wingett, lab director and professor for the Department of Biological Sciences, said.
Flow cytometry is used in DNA analysis that can include the differentiation between DNA and RNA, viability evaluation, determining cell activation states and other areas. The lab is involved with seven projects that include cancer research, vaccine development, angiogenesis, autoimmune diabetes research, nanobiotechnology and developmental biology.
“I came to appreciate the power and versatility of flow cytometry and fluorescent activated cell sorting while I was a graduate student at Washington State University and have continued to use this technology throughout my research programs,” Wingett said. “It is ideal for analyzing small biological samples and studying cell populations from complex mixtures from human blood or tissue samples.”
This facility also supports student research through its analysis capabilities. To have samples analyzed, students will need faculty sponsorship.
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