NSF Award
1821065
Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is awarded a grant to modernize the J.J. MacIsaac Facility for Aquatic Cytometry (FAC) and acquire a multi-user, shore and seagoing flow cytometric analyzer and imaging cytometer to support, research, training and education in the field of aquatic microbiology. The FAC at Bigelow Laboratory has been a multi-user research facility for over 30 years to advance the study of aquatic microbes and algae in marine and freshwater ecosystems. The primary structure of aquatic ecosystems is microscopic. Many new types and function of aquatic microorganisms have been discovered using flow cytometry (measurement of cells suspended in fluid flow). The majority of these microbes remain uncultivable and are therefore largely unknown. The FAC facilitates aquatic microbiology research to a broad research community allowing for this vast, untapped reservoir of biodiversity in these environments to be identified. It also provides training and education on both flow cytometry and aquatic microbiology to a broad range of students, including, undergraduates, graduate students and research scientists. The modernization of the FAC will support a variety of aquatic research (freshwater and marine) as well as the development of new aquatic flow cytometric applications. The instrumentation will be a part of the FAC, a multi-user center for training and applications of advance cytometric technology for the study of aquatic microbes.<br/><br/>The current instrumentation at the FAC is well used and outdated. Advances in optical technology (fiber optics, imaging, and fluorochrome detection) allow for flow cytometric instrumentation that contains solid-state lasers and are available in numerous wavelengths spanning the UV and visible light spectrum, some of which are better suited for aquatic biological applications. The new instruments acquired by this project will facilitate the ongoing primary research at Bigelow Laboratory and within the broader aquatic science community, develop new approaches and applications using both flow and imaging capabilities, and educate students and scientists in flow cytometric methods and applications. The new flow cytometric cell analyzer has a number of features that will enhance research capabilities, a 3-laser system for multiple wavelength excitation with up to 17 detectors for scatter and fluorescence particle detection, the ability to do volumetric counting, and includes a universal sample loader in order to rapidly process samples. The new imaging cytometer will provide a higher-powered laser and more sensitive detectors as well as a snap-in-flow cell holder and an integrated auto-focus mechanism, providing consistent higher resolution images. For more information about Bigelow Laboratory and the FAC, please see the website: http://www.bigelow.org/<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
