RE: flow analyzer question

Hi Debbie,

You are perfectly correct that a decision like this depends a great deal on what your
group actually is planning on doing in the future.  Simplistically and probably cheapest
is the upgrade, although I would urge you to consider the Cytek upgrade that would make
the Calibur a five color instrument.  Ray Lannigan can give you all the details for this
as well as the service Cytek supplies after installation. 

If your group has fantasies of doing more than 5 colors, you have a few choices of which
I can speak most about one in particular as it is the instrument I currently use for my
research.  Our group/institute has a CyAn ADP unit which has three lasers (488nm, 635nm,
and 405nm) and the capacity to detect 9 colors (5/2/2 respectively).  It has a very small
footprint so takes little bench space (my boss calls it a bread machine because it
resembles her bread machine at home).  I have had a CyAn for 3 years and have been very
satisfied with the data.  There is the caveat that it currently is not rated for clinical
use, although I am sure there are ways around this, and it is "limited" to the 9 colors. 
The LSR 2 can theoretically be expanded to do many more colors (see Steve Perfetto's
e-mails in Purdue list), but this requires a great deal of advanced flow knowledge and
the reagents require a great deal of time to QC as you must make many of them yourself. 
Also it has the draw back of being a very large instrument requiring special bench
construction.  Both instruments are PC based, why I am not sure since I have always
favored the MAC platform, and many of the folks I know using the LSR 2 actually use
FlowJo (for the MAC) for analysis and not the DiVa software.  I still use the Summit
software from DAKO that the CyAn comes with and is free to put on your analysis
computers.  It has all of the basic features of analysis software needed for multicolor
files including a compensation wizard which works quite well.

As always with members of this list, if you have more detailed questions ask here or
contact me using the info below.

Good luck,

Randy T. Fischer
NIAMS/NIH
B Cell Biology Group, Autoimmunity Branch
9000 Rockville Pike
Building 10, Room 6D50
Bethesda, MD 20896
(301) 594-3537 (voice)
(301) 402-2209 (fax)

The opinions stated above are my own because the Federal Government has no opinions, only
rules and regulations.








-----Original Message-----
From: Deborah I Anderson [mailto:deborah.i.anderson@bms.com]
Sent: Thu 4/27/2006 1:54 PM
To: cyto-inbox
Subject: flow analyzer question
Hi.  My name is Debbie Anderson and I am new to flow cytometry.  I have 
been "listening in" to many of the responses on the listserv and it is 
helping me to understand a little more about flo.

We currently have a 3color facs calibur and we were trying to decide 
whether to upgrade it to a 4 color with the second laser or if we should 
just purchase a new instrument.  I know this depends on our usage and 
where we are headed, however, that is not my decision to make. I  have 
been charged with gathering some information.  I was hoping some of you 
could help me.


Does anyone have a flow attached to a PC (not Mac)? Why did you move in 
that direction? Is the PC easier to handle over a Mac. I'm assuming that 
it is not Cellquest software. Is that were the Diva software comes in?

Does anyone have a 3 color instrument? Are you looking to upgrade to a 4 
color and if so why? What instrument would you suggest and why?

Do most of you have BD instruments or something else? What 
advantages/disadvantages have you come across with either?

I appreciate all of your help and input.
Thanks
Deb A


PS If there are any BMS people out there, could you tell me what 
instrument you have, how many colors, and what site you are from? Thanks 
again.