Replacement fluorescence activated cell sorter for the Jenner Laboratory (BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre: The Jenner Building)

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a powerful technology that enables the measurement of characteristics of single cells and then separates these cells based on their characteristics. Tens of thousands of individual cells can be isolated within minutes and are then available for analysis. This is critical to our understanding of how animals respond to virus infections and enable us to design and develop viral vaccines to prevent disease.
The Pirbright Institute's (Pirbright) purpose is to predict, detect, understand, and respond to serious viral diseases of livestock and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Pirbright is unique within the UK, providing scientists with access to both state-of-the-art animal and laboratory facilities to research infectious diseases of livestock at high containment levels. The BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre (Jenner Building) at Pirbright, is a low containment facility that supports work with medium risk viruses. This project aims to ensure continuity of the FACS capability in the Jenner Building for the next 10-12 years. To achieve this, we propose to replace our current 15 years old FACSorter, the BD FACSAria U3 (Aria U3), positioned within the Jenner Building, with an upgrade to a BD FACSAria Fusion (Aria Fusion).
The Aria Fusion is superior to the Aria U3 with exceptional multicolour performance, up to date software and hardware and enhanced biosafety protection. The addition of the microbiological safety cabinet will increase sample and operator protection. Retaining our FACS capacity and expanding our ability to sort virus infected samples will enable us to understand better animal responses to virus infection.

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a powerful multiparameter technology that enables the measurement of characteristics of single cells suspended in a fluid stream and then separates these cells based on their characteristics. Tens of thousands of individual cells can be isolated within minutes and are then available for morphological, genetic, and proteomic analysis, functional assays, or clonal selection. These downstream applications are critical to understanding host virus interactions with application in the design and development of viral vaccines and prevention of disease.
The Pirbright Institute's (Pirbright) purpose is to predict, detect, understand, and respond to serious viral diseases of livestock and viruses that spread from animals to humans. Pirbright is unique within the UK, providing scientists with access to both state-of-the-art animal and laboratory facilities to research infectious diseases of livestock at high containment levels. The BBSRC National Vaccinology Centre (Jenner Building) at Pirbright, is a low containment facility that supports work with medium risk viruses. This project aims to ensure continuity of the FACS capability in the Jenner Building for the next 10-12 years. To achieve this, we propose to replace our current 15 years old FACSorter, the BD FACSAria U3 (Aria U3), positioned within the Jenner Building, with an upgrade to a BD FACSAria Fusion (Aria Fusion).
The Aria Fusion is superior to the Aria U3 with exceptional multicolour performance, up to date software and hardware and enhanced biosafety protection (protecting both staff and the environment). The sorter configuration requested is a 4-laser system capable of simultaneously detecting 16 colours and it mirrors that of our other BD Biosciences flow cytometry instruments. The addition of the microbiological safety cabinet will provide us with the ability to sort virus infected samples to expand our knowledge of host responses to virus infection.