National Cytometry Platform

activities

The core facility offers a wide array of services, and it is open to national and international scientific collaborations. The National Cytometry Platform (NCP) provides access to single-cell technologies based on flow cytometry, microscopy, image cytometry, and mass cytometry. 

Technologies

Single-cell analysis

• Mass Cytometry
  • CyTOF XT™ (135 channels for the simultaneous measurement of more than 40 cellular markers)

• Flow Cytometry (conventional fluorescence based analyzers)
  • BD LSRFortessa (5 lasers: 355nm, 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 628nm; 20 channels)
  • 2 x Novocyte Quanteon (4 lasers: 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 628nm; 27 channels)

• Single-cell sorting
  • 2 x BD FACSymphony™ S6 Cell Sorter (5 lasers: 355nm, 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 637nm; 24 channels)
  • BD Influx (4 lasers: 355 nm, 405 nm, 488nm, 640 nm; 16 channels)

• Image Cytometry (combination of flow cytometry and microscopy for a detailed image of the cell and its intracellular components)
  • Image Stream MarkII (5 lasers: 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm, 785nm; 12 fluorescence channels; 20x 40x 60x magnification)

• Single-cell partioning and barcoding
  • Chromium iX

• Full Spectrum Flow Cytometry
  • “ID7000™ Spectral Cell Analyzer (4 lasers: 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 637nm; 112 channels)

Microscopy

• Confocal microscopy
  • LSM880 FastAiry – Zeiss (5 lasers: 405nm, 488nm, 543nm, 594nm, 633nm)

• Visible and epifluorescence microscopy
  • Axio Observer Z1 – Zeiss
  • Evos – Thermofischer
  • Eclipse NI-E- Nikon

Multiplex immune assay systems

• Multiplexing imager
  • MESO QuickPlex SQ 120 – MSD (high multiplexing system based on electrochemiluminescence to perform assays in 10 x 96 or 4 x 384 format)

Data analysis strategy

To address the need to integrate multidimensional data, metadata, and clinical information, we propose a strategy based on Business Intelligence described in a recent publication (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33957013/ and https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/fanny2212).

The facility also offers the possibility of analyzing data with known software (FlowJo, Cytobank, Infinicyt, and CellEngine) and assisting with statistical evaluation of data (Qluocore, GraphPad Prism).

Training

The National Cytometry Platform provides training in cytometry and multidimensional data analysis to the scientific community in Luxembourg and the international community towards collaborations with different Institutes and Universities.