Pathology Flow Cytometry Core Laboratory

Formal training on the FACSCelesta or NovoCyte is a two-hour session.  For trainees completely new to flow, additional training or assistance may be required.  Remember: flow is 90% preparation / troubleshooting and 10% acquiring your data.  Download the NovoCyte operation protocol by using the "NovoCyte op protocol" link from the list of links under "Additional Information" at the left of this page. A FACSCelesta-specific protocol may be made available in the future.  Operation is very similar to the older LSRII instrument.

 

The first training session does not require cells.  If you want to bring them to the initial training session that is fine, but please do not come to training with a "real experiment" from which you expect to derive data.  For your initial experimental appointments following training, please coordinate with me so I can be here and in the lab when you are running and accompany you as needed.  

 

The first training session does NOT cover compensation.  Compensation is critical to your success in flow, but I do not teach it (except by request) for two reasons.  The first is because labs are increasingly moving to a model of acquiring data at the cytometer but analyzing it (including compensation) at their home lab with a software package of their choice.  Secondly, for those new to flow, discussing the concept, need, and execution of compensation is simply too much to tack on to the existing training program.  If you wish to be trained in compensation a separate 1-hour appointment must be made, and while the theory of compensation is applicable across instruments and software, the performance of compensation for an experiment will be applicable to one cytometer only.  Pick the instrument which you run your samples on.