Cell Science Core Lab

The Cell Science Core (CSC) assists researchers in flow cytometry, cell sorting, and other cell sciences. The core provides access to a variety of state-of-the-art technology and technical expertise to researchers at Nemours Children's and beyond.

The CSC is supported by the Nemours Center for Pediatric Research and the Nemours Foundation. We are a part of the DE-INBRE (Delaware Institutional Development Award/IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) network of cores.

Current Research Group

• Sonali Barwe, PhD, Director
• Lisa Glazewski, MS, Manager

Our staff train and assist researchers to allow use of many of our instruments on their own. Staff are available to help design experiments and troubleshoot technical problems. We operate the FACS Aria Cell Sorter as a service to provide the researchers with highest quality cell sorts. Please contact the lab's core manager for details on access, training and costs.

Services

• FACS Aria III Cell Sorter. Equipped with 3 lasers (405, 488, 633nm) and 11 fluorescence channels. Samples can be sorted into a variety of collection tubes, plates, dishes or slides. Single cell sorting for clonal selection is also available. Sorted cells can be cultured or collected into lysis buffers for downstream RNA/DNA/protein analysis.
• 2-D Gel Electrophoresis/2D-DIFGE

• Novocyte 3000 Flow Cytometer. Equipped with 3 lasers (405, 488, 640nm) and 13 fluorescence channels. Samples can be live or fixed, in tubes or well-plates (up to 96-well plate). The easy-to-use NovoExpress software can also generate publication quality graphs and images.
• Novocyte Quanteon Flow Cytometer. Equipped with 4 lasers (405, 488, 561, 637nm), can analyze up to 25 colors simultaneously with appropriate experimental controls. Samples can be live or fixed, in tubes or well-plate (up to 384-well plate). Also uses NovoExpress software for data acquisition and analysis.
• Victor Nivo Plate Reader. A multipurpose plate reader capable of fluorescence, absorbance, luminescence, fluorescence polarization and time-resolved fluorescence detection. The instrument has a variety of emission/excitation filters.
• Centro XS Luminometer. A dedicated plate-based luminometer with better sensitivity than other multipurpose plate readers. The instrument also has 2 reagent injectors which allow for quicker automated assays.
• LiCor CiDigit Western Blot Scanner. Supports digital imaging of blots allowing users to bypass traditional dark room film development. Image Studio Lite software can be freely downloaded on user’s computer for analysis and annotation.
• Typhoon Trio Multimode Scanner. Optimized for 2D and 1D gels, but can be used to scan a variety of substrates. It has technologies for fluorescence, luminesce (ECL), and storage phosphor.
• HemaVet 950 Hematology System. This automated system can report 5-part differential (neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils) on as little as 20 µl of whole blood from a variety of species.