- Introduction
- Getting Access
- Usage Charges & Supplies
- EHS Information
- Data Storage and Analysis
- FACSCalibur
- Resources
- Contact Us
Introduction
The mission of the facility is to support biosciences research at Berkeley Lab by providing capabilities which individual labs might not otherwise have access to. Others interested in using the facility please see below under “Getting Access.” Instruments in the FACS Facility include a Becton-Dickinson FACSCalibur flow cytometer.
The facility is managed by Antoine Snijders along with backup support provided by flow cytometry experts from the UCSF Lab for Cell Analysis (LCA), Sarah Elmes and Bill Hyun. For training and most questions, contact Antoine via email or phone at (510) 486-7235.
Getting Access
The facility is located at 717 Potter Street, Berkeley. Training is required before one can use the analyzers; more extensive training is required to use the sorter. Training sessions can be scheduled by emailing Antoine Snijders. Relevant Environment/Health/Safety (EHS) training also needs to be completed prior to access.
In order to log in on the computer that controls the FACS instrument, an account is needed on Berkeley Lab’s Active Directory or Windows Domain system (Note: This is different from the LDAP account that is used for email, LETS, etc.). Many Berkeley Lab users already have an account and can simply use that to log in. If not, visit this website to request a Windows Domain account. See here for more information about Active Directory.
Read the section below for information about usage charges and supplies.
Usage Charges & Supplies
The charge for any instrument is $29.00 per hour. Also, if operator assistance is needed an additional fee of $120.00 per hour is charged (Fee schedule).
The facility provides sheath fluid and cleaning solutions for each cytometer. All other supplies must be brought by the users, which includes slides, transfer pipettes, gloves. In the resources section below is a list of the typical supplies and the ordering information.
EHS Information
The FACS Facility is located in a BSL-2 lab; no food or drink is allowed. Each user must have completed and be current on the following EHS training: EHS0735/738 Bloodborne Pathogen training and annual refresher, EHS0745 Hepatitis B Medical Surveillance training, EHS0604 Hazardous Waste Generator training, and EHS0730 Biohazardous Waste training. Visit the Berkeley Lab training website for more information. The use of the FACS Facility and the method of transport of samples between the home lab and the the facility must be documented in the BUA of the Principal Investigator. If you have any questions, please contact Antoine Snijders for information. In addition, every FACS user should be familiar with the Standard Operating Procedure document. Ensuring that all EHS regulations are properly followed is the responsibility of the user and their Principal Investigator.
Data Storage and Analysis
The computer that controls the FACS machine may temporarily be used to store acquisition data; these will be kept for one week after acquisition. Users are responsible for their own data and can copy it over the network to their lab’s server, copy it to a USB memory stick or portable USB hard drive, or burn it onto a CD or DVD. For flow data analysis the FlowJo program is recommended which can be made available for a reduced fee through a collaboration with UCSF. For an annual (July 1 through June 30) fee of $150 a license code is provided to run the program on the user’s own computer (PC or Mac). Simply download the FlowJo program, install it, and run it in evaluation mode. Once ready to purchase, contact Sarah Elmes for further information.
FACSCalibur
The FACSCalibur is a bench-top cell analyzer, configured with two lasers:
1. 488 nm Blue-green Argon Ion laser;
2. 633 nm Red Helium Neon laser.
Three fluorescence channels and two scatter channels are available from the 488 nm laser (FSC, SSC, FL1, FL2, FL3).
One fluorescence channel is available from the 633 nm laser (FL4).
An optional High Throughput Sampler station is attached to allow direct sampling from 96-well and 384-well plates.
FACSCalibur user instructions (Note: training is required)
Resources
Fee Schedule
FACSCalibur User Instructions (Note: training is required)
Google Drive Cytometry Folder, containing instrument manuals, user guides, etc.
FACS Standard Operating Procedure Document
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the FACS Facility, please contact Antoine Snijders.
