Amnis ImageStreamX MkII Imaging Cytometer for UMass Chan Flow Core - PROJECT SUMMARY This proposal is for the purchase of a 4-laser Amnis ImageStream MK II imaging flow cytometer for placement in the UMass Chan Medical School (UMCMS) Flow Cytometry Research Core Facility, a robust and well- established facility serving over 120 principal investigators each year. The Flow Core currently utilizes a 3-laser Amnis FlowSight imaging flow cytometer that is 11 years old and, with only 20 X magnification, lacks the resolution to meet the imaging needs of our researchers. Many of the Major and Minor users supporting this proposal currently rely on cumbersome microscopy techniques because they could not obtain sufficient resolution on our FlowSight to utilize imaging flow cytometry for applications such as cell-cell interactions, subcellular localization, DNA repair foci, phagocytosis, and complex morphological changes like NETosis. The 4-laser Amnis ImageStream with 20/40/60 X magnification will have greatly improved capabilities, increased sensitivity, resolution, and reproducibility of single-cell imaging. Coupled with the new Machine Learning software, the ImageStream will greatly increase our researchers’ rate of data acquisition as well as speed of data analysis, while offering verifiable, objective, reproducible data, and statistical analyses. The UMCMS Flow Core has been faced with the urgent need to replace a large amount of aging but essential equipment within a short time, as many of our instruments have been made obsolete by the manufacturer. Recognizing that institutional funds are limiting, this proposal for a Shared Instrumentation Grant is an essential part of our equipment replacement plan. Our researchers that depend on the Flow Core instruments come from over 20 different departments and over 90% of them are NIH-funded. These investigators have helped to make UMMS a world-leader in translational research, coupling basic biomedical research to a bench- to-bedside innovation engine. UMMS researchers have made pivotal advances in HIV, cancer, diabetes, autoimmunity, infectious disease, gene therapy and in understanding the molecular basis of disease. The Flow Core has been central to many of these advances. This Amnis ImageStream MK II imaging flow cytometer will support new research applications that could not be imaged on our FlowSight, providing state-of-the-art cell analyses for our dynamic, growing pool of NIH-funded researchers. The research projects of our 12 Major and 7 Minor users cover diverse areas of medical research including cancer, autoimmunity, bacterial and fungal pathogens, anemia, malaria, HIV, COVID-19 and more.
