Ryan Duggan
Flow cytometry core facilities are consistently trying to increase the capacity of their cell sorting service and reduce the cost to their users. Our lab recently integrated Bio-Rad’s S3 cell sorter into our core facility. This acquisition allowed the flow core users to sort unassisted, on their own schedule, and at lower cost. Here are the three key features that allow any researcher to start sorting on their own in as little as 20 minutes.
With two collinear lasers and four detectors, the S3 cell sorter is tailored to process cell lines expressing fluorescent proteins. The laser alignment and calibration of the drop delay is automatically performed by the instrument when running a single set of QC beads. The user can easily navigate through the software interface to adjust the instrument settings and create sorting decisions. As sorting begins, the S3 cell sorter will monitor the sort to ensure high purity. Mulitple collection tubes per sorted population can be loaded into the sort collection sled and when the first collection tube fills up, the instrument automatically moves to the next collection tube. The system will also detect air bubbles in the sample line that will inform the instrument that there is no more sample and prompt it to stop the sort. The simplicity of the S3 cell sorter allows the instrument to be operated by the end-users, thus reducing the cost of operation and freeing up technical staff to focus on the high-end sorting needs of the facility.
1. Startup
2. Setup
3. Sort
For more information, visit the S3 cell sorter product page.
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