Scheduling Information
- Utilization of the Cytometry Facility is available to all Hillman members and the research community on a first come, first served basis.
- All University of Pittsburgh appointments are booked using iLab. Primary Investigators should have a Research Group account and lab members need to register as members of that group. Accounts are linked thru the PI’s Research Group. See Pitt Research (Using Core Facilities) for more information
- Unless appointments are canceled 24 hours in advance of the scheduled time, the customer’s account may be charged for that time. Contact the facility staff if you need to cancel within the 24 hour period.
- Please specify any special requests, such as downloading of data, acquisition of extra events, etc., as these requests require extra time. The more we know about your experiment, the better we can help!
Scheduling Assistance and Consultation
Analytical cytometry
Upon completion of training, users will be granted access to the scheduling calendars on the iLab website. User can view the schedule, check availability and make appointments.
Cell sorting appointments
- Self-sorting: Experienced users who wish to run their own sorts can get training on one of the two Sony MA900 cell sorters. There is one in Hillman and one in Assembly. Appointments can be made directly thru iLab by trained users.
- Assisted sorting: Individuals who want to sort and want the facility staff to operate the sorted can make appointments by sending an email to the facility staff. The staff can assist with sorts on the Sony MA900, however, most staff assisted sorts are run on the Thermo Bigfoot located in Assembly. All appointments for staff-assisted sorting are made thru email and booked by the staff on the iLab calendar.
NanoString project consultation
Training
The Cytometry Facility is dedicated to the education of all who wish to utilize flow cytometry. The Facility offers education and consultation on a comprehensive selection of flow cytometry topics and methods.
Primarily, the Facility will teach individuals at all levels of training to operate and run any of the Facility’s flow cytometers. Accomplished operators will have access to the Facility and instrumentation 24/7.
In addition, the Facility offers lectures in basic flow cytometry theory as well as several advanced topics, such as instrument quality control, panel design and spectral compensation.
For individuals who need additional assistance with assay development, consultation and hands-on training are available.
The Facility staff has a great deal of experience in data analysis and will assist individuals with flow cytometric data and statistical analysis.
The Facility Director, Dr. Bruno, is available by appointment for consultation on experimental design and data analysis. This service is offered without fee or obligation to include him as co-author or collaborator.
Please see below for a selection of articles and presentations about flow cytometry.
Lectures and Further Education
- Rare Event Analysis (PDF)
- About Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting (PDF)
- Compensation – Lecture (PDF)
- Measuring Dendritic Cells – Lecture (PDF)
- DAKO Flow Cytometry Educational Guide (PDF)
- The Molecular Probes® Handbook – 11th Edition
Become an iLab User
The University of Pittsburgh utilizes a single centralized Pitt/iLab portal to assist researchers in acquiring shared university resources. To use iLab Core Facilities Management, registration for an iLab account is required. Instructions on how to register for an account are available under the Core Connector.
iLab software defines multiple roles, one of which will apply to each person. Roles fall under three categories: Personnel Roles, Core Facilities Management Roles, and University-Wide Roles. iLab training material is available for each of these roles under Using Core Facilities.