Single Cell Facility
The Single Cell Facility and the Laboratory Automation Facility are central research and service platforms located at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering. These units provide an accompanied or open access to state-of-the-art microscopy, flow cytometry, laboratory automation - extending to advanced data analysis and management. The facilities were established to optimize the use of capital equipment within the department and offer expert support to users through dedicated professionals. Main focus is to provide a high-end instrument portfolio that is well maintained and updated. Users of these technologies are supported at various service levels ranging from training sessions that enable independent instrument operation to direct participation of our staff members in research projects. The facilities offer expert advice on experimental design within our competencies with the aim that our equipment and software is used to the full extent of its capabilities. We accompany projects by advice on selecting the best technology, sample preparation, assay design, performing data acquisition or train users how to run their assays on our equipment. Furthermore we tune the equipment or perform component integration to provide dedicated solutions for specified assays. Because the complexity of large data sets in combination with multiplexed data acquisition requires high-end data analysis capabilities we provide access and training to a variety of sophisticated analysis software tools to the extent of writing new scripts and software code if required.To drive the development of our facility we continuously scout for new state of the art technologies and highlight them in discussions with our users to raise awareness of potential benefits for ongoing and future projects.
The Single Cell Facility (SCF) is equipped with a large variety of high-end instruments, dedicated to the analysis of single cells. Its portfolio includes optical technologies such as flow cytometry and microscopy. The facility currently specializes in high throughput flow cytometry analysis and sorting and customized automated microscopy for live cell imaging.
Flow cytometry is one of the foremost used technologies for the fast and accurate analysis of single cells. The facility hosts high-speed cell sorters (BC MoFlo XDP, BD Influx and a BD FACSAria III) for cell sorting, single cell deposition and multi parametric analysis. A BD LSRFortessa and a BD Accuri, connected to an IntelliCyt high throughput sampler, are available for analysis.
Advanced light microscopy imaging systems are provided for end-point and live-cell assays. Most systems are fully optimized for long-term live-cell imaging through incorporation of customized environmental chambers, high precision XYZ controls, continuous auto-focus capabilities, long lifetime and stable light sources and sensitive (multiple) cameras. Technologies include wide-field imaging as well as single and multi-point scanning confocal microscopy. Our inverted and upright microscopes are optimized to hold a variety of specimen formats; including microfluidic chips and other customized devices.
The following technologies are available on specialized imaging work stations or in combination at a total of eight microscopes.
• Wide field microscopy (on five upright and inverted fully motorized Nikon microscopes: TiE, TiU, NiE; with environmental control for life cell support, high precision stages for accurate repositioning, solid state light sources, 4Mpx sCMOS cameras)
• point scanning confocal microscopy (Two laser scanning microscopes: Leica SP5 (nine different excitation lines), Nikon A1R (five different excitation lines) with spectral detection, photoactivation, FRAP, spectral analysis and unmixing, virtual filters, multidimentional imaging)
• multipoint scanning (Two work stations (upright and inverted) equipped with Visitech VTHawk scan heads for multibeam confocal imaging and simultaneous high precision point-scanning FRAP, 5 laser lines, sCMOS camera detection)
We provide one dedicated lab that can be upgraded to BSL-2 status upon request, which is equipped with a BD FACSAria III, an automated inverted fluorescence microscope and a biosafety cabinet (laminar flow box).
To further support the department in these areas, we offer expert support in image analysis and, in close collaboration with the CISD, deliver solutions for data management. A large variety of commercial and custom made software solutions are available.
The Single Cell Facility is a member of the Microscopy Network Basel. See the following link to get information on other microscopy resources in Basel: external page https://microscopynetwork.unibas.ch/network-members/