Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences
Flow Cytometry Services
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Flow Cytometry training videos
Flow Cytometry Technology
Flow cytometry is a technology which discriminates between particles, usually different types of cells, using multiple physical characteristics. The particles flow through a beam of light which is diverted slightly depending on the relative density, granularity and size of each particle.
Alternatively, fluorescence labels can be attached to a specific cell type within a mixed population to permit identification. An optical-to-electronic coupling system then records how each particle (cell) scatters the laser light or emits fluorescence. This HighThroughput system quantifies several thousand particles/second.
Unique Project desing and implimentation
Bespoke project design and implementation to assess pharmaceuticals and dietary supplement activity including:
- Probiotics
- Antibiotics
- Prebiotics
- Proteins/fibres/carbohydrates
A typical project may include In situ batch/continuous cultures and unique gut model systems maintained at an appropriate pH and containing a complex growth medium designed to simulate intestinal effluent, to reflect specialised intestinal environments.
These models are inoculated with faecal slurry and allowed to stabilise prior to the addition of a test substrate. Parallel unsupplemented fermenters provide a baseline of background activity. After a set period, activity of the test substrate can be assessed in terms of its effect on major bacterial gut populations and functionally, on metabolite, ammonia, acid and gas production.
Microbial population dynamics can then be assessed by Fluorescence in situ Hibridisation coupled with Flow Cytometry
Assessment of bacterial population dynamics
FISH-Flow
Quantification of intestinal bacterial population dynamics using Fluorescent in situ Hybridisation (FISH) coupled with Flow Cytometry.
Standard assessment of mixed cell populations by Flow Cytometry including:
- Quantification of different cell phenotypes – by cell surface markers, intracellular cytokine or transcription factor expression.
- Apoptosis – eg. Quantification of JC-1 and Caspase-3 producing cell.
- Cell activation – eg. Naïve/activated T Cells
- Cell proliferation and differentiation in culture in response to intervention – such as drug therapy.
- Live/dead cell counts
Statistical moduling, data analysis and interpretation
Statistical analysis is provided along with support interpreting the data generated by our panel of experts based in the Food Microbial Sciences Unit, Dept. Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Reading.
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