International honour for the core facility at Aarhus University
The FACS Core Facility at Aarhus University is now one of only eight facilities in the world to have received an official seal of approval from the International Society for the Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC).
The Skou Building at the Department of Biomedicine houses a world-class research servicing unit.
As one of only eight core facilities worldwide, the FACS Core Facility has just obtained official status as an ISAC Recognized Shared Resource Laboratory. This recognition reflects that the facility complies with the strict requirements for best practices in cell sorting as well as operations, communication and quality assurance.
The FACS Core Facility services all of Aarhus University and provides advanced fluorescence-based instruments (flow cytometers) to analyse and isolate single cells or microparticles. Besides this, the unit provides teaching, training in how to use instruments, and guidance in flow cytometry as well as help to carry out advanced data analysis and interpret results.
"The method can be used both clinically and in research. Flow cytometry makes it possible to examine thousands of cells individually for many concurrent parameters within a few minutes, for example with regard to protein expression, receptor density, intracellular signalling pathways and much more. Furthermore, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) even makes it possible to purify and isolate cells with specific desired characteristics, and then continue to grow them or use them in gene sequence analyses and similar," explains Charlotte Christie Petersen, MSc, PhD and manager of the FACS Core Facility.
Flies to Philadelphia
She and her colleagues have received a diploma certifying that they are among the best in the world in terms of parameters such as teaching, organisation, quality assurance, data management and laboratory structure.
"Aarhus University has a mantra that we conduct world-class research and education. Now we’ve received a valuable seal of approval certifying that we are among the very few who meet the international standards," says Charlotte Christie Petersen.
Among other things, she hopes that this recognition will be helpful when the facility applies for funding for new equipment.
"But right now, we're just happy about the honour and recognition, and that others can see that we're doing a good job here in Aarhus," she says.
At the beginning of June, the three employees from the FACS Core Facility will be flying to Philadelphia to participate in the international flow cytometry congress CYTO2022. Here, they will be presented with the diploma at an official ceremony.
Executive Board FACS:
- Head of Department of Biomedicine, Thomas G. Jensen
- Head of Department of Clinical Medicine, Jørgen Frøkiær
- Head of Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Erik Østergaard Jensen
- Head of Department of Biology, Hans Brix
- Flow cytometry expert, Uffe Birk Jensen, Department of Biomedicine and Department of Clinical Genetics
- Flow cytometry expert, Marianne Hokland, Department of Biomedicine
- Flow cytometry expert, Bjarne Kuno Møller, Department of Clinical Immunology
- Flow cytometry expert, Mikkel Steen Petersen, Department of Clinical Immunology
- Flow cytometry expert, Søren Egedal Degn, Department of Biomedicine
- Manager of the FACS Core Facility, Charlotte Christie Petersen
The best 8:
After a vigorous application and review process, ISAC (International Society for Advancement of Cytometry) revealed that the following eight labs successfully have gained recognition for their excellent operations:
- Aarhus University FACS Core Facility, Aarhus, Denmark
- Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute Flow Cytometry Core, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Emory University Pediatrics/Winship Flow Cytometry Core, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center Flow and Image Cytometry Shared Resource, Buffalo, NY, USA
- University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Flow Cytometry Facility, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- University of Miami/Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Flow Cytometry Shared Resource, Miami, Florida, USA
- University of Munich (LMU) Core Facility Flow Cytometry, Biomedical Center Munich, Munich, Germany
- University of Virginia Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Read more: ISAC | Recognized SRLs (isac-net.org)