The Flow Core is a resource for numerous investigators.
To help us maintain the laboratory functionality and performance at its best, we require users to read, accept and follow our conditions below.
All samples must be brought to us with lids (the clear, solid type not strainer caps) and be inside a sealed secondary container. Expanded polystyrene boxes, unsealed ice buckets or tube racks covered with foil are not spill-proof and not permitted.
Take any remaining sample back to your lab.
Cover all samples when vortexing, with Parafilm or clear (not filter) tube caps to minimise aerosols.
We prefer one user per workstation, and per appointment. No drop-ins for advice or visitors, for example (but not limited to) giving tours of the facility.
Do not attempt to access areas or equipment that you have not explicitly been given permission for.
Cell sorters, mass cytometers and the Parsortix are facility-operated only. The facility maintains and QCs the instruments on a daily basis. If an instrument breaks down, booked users will be notified immediately via email. All instruments are under service contract and will be repaired as soon as possible.
To book time on staff-operated services, please make a booking on the instrument calendar. Staff will review your request and confirm (or reject) your booking. You will receive a notification via iLab.
Before any first time run of an operator-run service please schedule a consultation session and contact us via BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk.
The Flow Core offers an antibody conjugation service for mass cytometry reagents, which can be booked via iLab. Please review reagent requirements before your first order by contacting us via BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk.
Cell sorters are highly subscribed instruments. Users can book sorts up to 6 month in advance. However, no single user can book more than 10 hours of total sort time per week as we strive to offer equal access for all. Should you not be able to schedule a sort at the desired time, we will offer you an alternative slot/discuss the best options.
To cancel a sort please submit a sort cancellation form via iLab . Sorts cancelled 72 hours (3 days) in advance will not be charged. Sorts cancelled within 48 hours (2 days) or less of the scheduled time will be charged in full unless the facility can fill the vacancy with another sort. Users will be informed if we could fill the opening, otherwise their account will be automatically charged
If an instrument breaks down, no charges will be raised for any sorts that cannot be done though we will always strive to allocate slots on any of the other instruments
All sorters use sterile PBS as sheath fluid. Users can request a different sheath fluid if their cell type should require this. The user will supply a minimum of 5L of alternative sterile sheath fluid at least 2 days in advance of their sort. A change of sheath fluid incurs an additional fee of £150 to cover the time for the special setup
Users working with clinical samples with sometimes unpredictable schedule are urged to discuss their needs with the Head of the BRC Flow Core – richard.ellis@kcl.ac.uk – before the start of their project as we do not have after hour staffing at this time.
Safety - Sample material will only be accepted if permitted under our specific sorting instructions and those in the registration and induction pack, with a suitable risk assessment. This may mean that only instruments which are in hoods for operator protection can be booked for some samples, and some samples may not be permitted at all. In addition, if sorting, the collection buffer must be suitable and if it requires use in a containment hood (e.g. Trizol, 2-mercaptoethanol) then only those instruments with hoods can be booked.
Before first use of any core laboratory services users must register with iLab, our online booking and invoice system, and also complete our registration form.
Attend all relevant training
No samples above a Biosafety level of 2 (BSL2) can be processed or sorted in the Flow Core. Users that wish to run samples containing any agents above BSL2 must fix the samples to inactivate the infectious agent and contact the Head of Platform (Richard.Ellis@gstt.nhs.uk) before the first run of any such sample material. Failure to do so will result in immediate termination of all access rights
We will not refrigerate/ freeze user samples beyond your appointment in the lab
The flow cytometry core does not provide standard consumables such as FACS tubes, antibodies, 96 well plates etc, these are to be brought by the user
Self service instruments are available 24/7 to internal users except during maintenance and repair periods. Out of hours and weekend work requires users to adhere to the Trust lone worker policy (PDF 88Kb) and to have their own authorized Trust ID card. Users found to gain access on colleagues’ ID cards will have their access rights suspended until this situation is corrected and their PI will be notified
Data acquisition on the Flow Core analysers is done by researchers and considered as self-service on CytoFLEX, Fortessa, Symphony, Luminex and ImageStream platforms. All experiments are performed by trained researchers themselves unless flow cytometry laboratory personnel assistance is offered. That service must be agreed in advance with the team and incurs additional charges (subject to availability).
To book instrument time or services, please use the online iLab booking system as we need an audit trail of all requests. For queries use the team email address BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk, please DO NOT email individual team members, these requests will be ignored.
The experiments are scheduled on a first-booked-first-served basis.
You may schedule in 15 minute increments and generally should not book more than 4 hours at a time during prime usage time (weekdays: 12 noon to 8 pm). Our GSTT R&D members will have priority access to the instrumentation. No single research group can book more than 8 hours of prime time usage per week. Please discuss exceptional booking needs exceeding this limit in advance with the Flow Core team: BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk
Users who book a timeslot they are unable to use must delete their booking from the calendar no later than 2 hours before the appointment. After this deadline, the scheduled time will be billed in full even if the researcher does not use the instrument
The flow cytometry laboratory staff reserve the right to review the time scheduled for an experiment with the user to avoid unnecessary blocking of the instruments
The last booked user of the day on any instrument is responsible to shut it down, please check the calendar. This also applies when users book, but then not use the instrument in the end.
Eating, drinking, smoking and application of make-up is not allowed in the flow cytometry laboratory.
We are no longer supplying lab coats/ safety goggles, please bring your own.
Please report any issues with equipment or PPE shortage.
You can have another trained, registered user assist you for as long as that person is required but no longer. Untrained guests are not allowed.
Allow time in your booking to complete your work, clean the instrument, sanitise the workstation and to be out promptly on time after your run. Turn up on time and you MUST leave at the end of your booked time.
Before the end of your booking, all your files should be uploaded so they can be deleted from the instruments. You can use our data transfer server.
Flow Core staff are not responsible for data files left on facility computers nor for long term storage of user data. Files left on our drives will be removed during regular monthly database maintenance without any notification
The Flow Core is not responsible for the security of user data on our transfer drive, which is not backed up or for long term storage. Users must download and safely store their data onto devices within their own research groups.
The use of USB sticks and external hard drives for data transfer as well as using internet browsers on the instrument workstations is not allowed. Users must use the network for data transfer as instructed during training
Regular weekly maintenance on all flow cytometry self service instruments is performed by flow cytometry laboratory staff and is scheduled on Mondays from 9 am to 10.30 am. It includes the following procedures:
Instrument cleaning according to manufacturer instruction for regular maintenance
Quality Control according to manufacturers protocol
Fresh preparation of all the solutions for spray bottles and cleaning tubes
Discard of all unlabelled sample tubes and racks from the desks and bench
Purge of all illegitimate files from the computers
Without special announcement, the facility will purge all data files on the analysers on the first Monday of every month in order to maintain the systems at optimal running speed. All users are responsible to export and backup their data regularly. The facility is not responsible for data storage and retrieval.
Users must run cleaning tubes at the end of their experiment. Detailed instructions are posted on the instruments. Tubes are available next to the instruments. Users that are repeatedly found not following cleaning procedures may have their access rights suspended for a period of time. The core reserves the right to charge £50 for cleaning an instrument if we find it dirty for the next person using the platform.
Users must empty the waste tanks or fill up the sheath tank if necessary as instructed during training. Check levels before starting to acquire samples. The waste tank must be filled with 1 liter of bleach after it was emptied. All BD analysers use BD FACSFlow buffer as sheath fluid. Boxes are available in the flow lab.
During regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5pm) users must set instruments on standby when they are finished with their run.
After-hours and on weekends users must shut down the fluidics and turn the instruments off when they have finished cleaning after their acquisition.
Users that fail to shut down the instruments at the end of the day or when they are the last user of the platform on the weekend will be billed the hourly rate of the analyser between their log-off and 9 am on the following workday. Their PI will be notified.
Do not under any circumstances let instruments or tubes run dry. This introduces air bubbles into the system which are hard to clear out.
Users must filter all samples that go on the sorters, the mass cytometers and the ImageStream analyser through a nylon mesh filter to remove clumps. These cause clogging which is difficult and time consuming to clear. Nylon filters are available from BD Falcon (Falcon 2235), Partec (CellTrics sterile filter caps) or as sheets of nylon mesh (e.g. from B-CMN-40 from small parts).
Users must clean the bench space around the cytometers from any spills and discard tubes, tips etc into the biohazard waste containers. All non biohazard waste is collected in regular waste bins.
If a problem occurs with any of the instruments, please seek assistance first from the Flow Core team. If nobody is available at that moment, email BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk to notify of the problem, and place a note on the screen to inform other users.
Users are responsible to pay the fees for all services as agreed upon signup. If payment is outstanding for more than 45 days, the user account will be suspended until payment is received in full
Users must inform the core facility in writing two month before any grant code expires and provide a new valid funding source.
Users must notify the core facility prior to changing their lab affiliation as this must be amended in iLab to ensure correct invoicing.
Access to the Aria1 sorter for self service is restricted to advanced users that have a certificate of participation in an official ARIA operator training course (please contact BD Biosciences for up to date information). Self-service access is limited to weekend and after hour work (after 5 pm Monday to Friday unless a facility run sort goes beyond 5pm in which case the service sort takes priority) while Aria1 is a facility only operated instrument during regular business hours Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Self- service operators are responsible for start up, run and shutdown of the instrument and must clean up in accordance with facility rules. Before first time usage self-operators must make an appointment with the facility staff to obtain a local induction (email BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk). Repeated failure to safely operate the instrument or adhere to facility policies will result in a review/revoking of the access rights. Booking for self service slots is done by facility staff only, please submit the online sort booking form.
You must use the following phrase on any publications and presentations in which content was derived using staff, services or equipment from the Flow Core: "This research was supported by Research and Development, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS". Always check our website for the current version of this phrase before publishing.
Independent of that acknowledgement statement, at any time it is important that if a team member has helped with the design or with input into the implementation of an experiment you should offer them an authorship. This is a requirement of KCL as a signatory to the Technician Commitment to promote visibility of technical staff. In return, staff will be happy to help review and advise on manuscripts.
For our affiliation, please now use the following:
Advanced Cytometry Platform (Flow Core), Research and Development Department at Guy’s and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Guy’s Hospital, London SE1 9RT, UK
Including the acknowledgment and authorships is not just a requirement, our output is monitored and it is used for metrics (from literature searches) which are vital for our future funding, sustainability and development.
We should NOT be referred to as the "BRC Flow Core", however the old email address BRCFlowCore@gstt.nhs.uk remains in place for the time being to assist users. Informally it would be better to refer to us as the R&D Flow Core.
We no longer use the NIHR funding statement that was stipulated on our old website and in previous trainings. Since April 1st 2023, it would be inappropriate to use the wording of that statement on presentations and publications.