The Advanced Flow Cytometry Platform operates two identical BD Biosciences "Fortessa" cell sorters equipped with 5 lasers, providing equipment redundancy for robust immune monitoring assays
The BD LSRFortessa cell analysers are high end analytical flow cytometers and offer high performance, capabilities, and flexibility, utilising a revolutionary optical design. The electronics digitise signals 10 million times per second in 16,384 discrete levels. This expands channel resolution and increases detection sensitivity. Electronic dead time is eliminated; more precise fluorescent measurements can be made improving linearity, compensation, and better quantification of fluorescence measurements. The system features user-changeable filters and a plate loader for HTS as well as standard single-tube applications.
The BD Fortessa cell analysers are high end analytical "SORP" flow cytometers with up to 5 lasers and 18 fluorescent parameters. They are the tools of choice for high end polychromatic flow cytometry where improved linearity, compensation, and better quantification of fluorescence measurements are essential. Both core lab Fortessa instruments are equipped with five fixed alignment lasers and BD High Throughput Sampler (HTS) option. FACSDiva (version 9) software is used for acquisition and analysis. Specifications for our Fortessa 1/ 2:
5 laser, 20 parameter SORP instrument
Laser, detector and filter configuration: 3 nUV/ 6 Violet / 2 Blue/ 3 Red/ 4 Yellow-Green:
355 nm (nUV), 405 nm (violet), 488nm (blue), 561nm (Yellow-green), 633 nm (red)
The Flow Core own a large set of optional filters as well, but they are not routinely installed on the cytometer. If you require a different filter configuration for a specific fluorochrome, please inform the facility staff in advance. Obtaining filters for novel dyes may take several weeks. Due to the fast growing number of dyes on the market the above list is by no means exhaustive, please ask the Flow Core staff if you are unsure which filter to use.
The analysers are available self-service only, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for use by investigators except during weekly maintenance and repair periods.
You can book Fortessa 1 or 2 on the Equipment pages of our iLab calendar.
Before an investigator can book and use the equipment, they must register with the Flow Core and attend mandatory Basic Training, plus our free (monthly, online) top-up Fortessa training. Our Fortessa training also facilitates access to the Symphony – it is the same Diva software and very similar to run. Please see our training dates, the Fortessa training typical follows on the Tuesday after Basic Training, or any subsequent month is available with no restriction on participant numbers.