4-Laser Cell Sorter

• Subject Area: Zoology
• Term: Funded in 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 517957028

The department of Biology at Kiel University has a strong focus on experimental evolution, manipulation of the microbiome and the assessment of host cellular responses, the isolation and differentiation of bacteria, and single cell transcriptomics. Larger funding initiatives and several individual projects of a diversity of working groups aim to unravel host-microbe interactions and evolution. In the Biology Center of Kiel University, we currently lack an instrument that goes beyond the quantification of bacteria and eukaryotic cells over flow cytometry, and that would permit sorting of both prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic cells. The purchase of a Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorter would significantly advance our experimental capabilities at Kiel University and bring us on a new level in terms of manipulation of organismic interactions and cellular responses. The usage of the FACS would facilitate to a) understand and follow single or multiple bacterial strains and their interaction in the microbiome upon adding fluorescently labelled bacteria strains and viruses, b) the quantification of competing bacterial strains in evolution experiments and their re-isolation upon sorting of the single strains, that would permit further cultivation or e.g. infection experiments on the host to assess shifting virulence upon experimental evolution, c) quantify and sort host cells to start cell cultures or to assess their development or gene expression using e.g. single cell transcriptomics, and d) assess the expression of cellular signals and components and e) analyse cellular replication and cell cycle.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: 4-Laser Zellsortiergerät
• Instrumentation Group: 3500 Zellzähl- und Klassiergeräte (außer Blutanalyse), Koloniezähler
• Applicant Institution: Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
• Leader: Professorin Dr. Olivia Roth