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The J.J. MacIsaac Flow Cytometry Facility was established by Dr. Clarice Yentsch at Bigelow Laboratory in 1981. Funded jointly by the Office of Naval Research and the National Science Foundation, it was the first flow cytometry facility dedicated to research in the aquatic sciences. Some of the first research done with flow cytometry in oceanography was done at the facility and it clearly demonstrated the great potential in improving our understanding of planktonic populations. Many scientists have used the facility over the years to do research or to participate in the regular introductory and advanced topic workshops held here. The success of the facility is demonstrated in the fact that most major oceanographic laboratories around the world now have flow cytometers. In 1991 the facility added imaging cytometry capability and the name was changed to the more general Facility for Individual Particle Analysis.
The mission of the facility is to provide access to this specialized equipment for the oceanographic community through direct use of state-of-the-art instrumentation on a fee for use basis, and the presentation of regular courses and workshops for training and research. The development of techniques for oceanographic applications is another important role of the facility.
Flow cytometry is the technique of measuring optical properties of individual cells, or particles in general, in a flow stream rapidly passing one-at-a-time in front of a laser beam with detectors measuring fluorescence and light scatter. A flow cytometer can measure these parameters at rates of thousands of cells per minute. The technique was developed in the 1960's and 70's for biomedical applications and was first applied to the aquatic sciences in the early 1980's.
Since plankton cells exist naturally in suspension, flow cytometry is a good way of studying natural populations of plankton without artifacts of preserving and filtering cells. Phytoplankton cell have the property of autofluorescence from the photosynthetic pigments they contain, such as chlorophyll, which is readily detected and measured by commercially available flow cytometers. Since first applied to problems in aquatic sciences flow cytometry has contributed to a variety of aspects of plankton ecology and physiology. What may be the most abundant species on the earth was discovered by S. Chisholm, R. Olson and colleagues using flow cytometry at sea. These cells, named Prochlorococcus, are tiny (less than 1 um in diameter) but very abundant in warm waters around the world. There are many other applications of flow cytometry in aquatic sciences. See our list of publications for further examples.
Imaging cytometry is the measurement of cells from images. In our particular use it is the measurement of various attributes of cells from microscope images using fluorescence microscopy and computer image analysis techniques. Using image analysis cell populations can be distinguished and enumerated and cell sizes can be measured, as well as cell characteristics such as morphology and fluorescence color and intensity.
In most natural waters the majority of particles are living planktonic cells, including bacteria, protozoa, and single-celled algae. Viruses are also abundant in natural waters. Non-living particles are often abundant in nearshore, coastal waters and include organic detritus and inorganic, mineral particles. Imaging techniques can be used to distinguish, count and measure these cells and non-living particles in natural waters. Fluorescent dyes can be added to natural water samples to specifically stain particular cell components.
There are several ways you can try these technologies on your research application. These instruments are now commonly available at research universities and hospitals. Many of these institutions have facilities for general use. These facilities are usually oriented to biomedical applications, however, and using natural samples can be tricky. There are a number of other flow cytometry websites you can visit for more information. Many marine science laboratories now have flow and/or image cytometry systems, but these are often dedicated to particular researchers and their specific projects. Access to these instruments will require the establishment of good relationships with the directors and technicians that operate them.
There are a few facilities that provide access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for aquatic scientists. One such facility is the J. J. MacIsaac Facility at Bigelow Laboratory.
If you have a research application that you think could benefit from flow or imaging cytometry you should contact the Director (Mike Sieracki) or Instrument Specialist (Terry Cucci). We can work with you to develop preliminary data for use in proposals. The facility is usually used in full week blocks, which gives you full access to the laboratory and full attention of the Instrument Specialist. Shorter duration use can be arranged. With prior arrangement we can also run samples sent to us and rates will depend on the time it takes to analyze them. It is important that you talk to us BEFORE you collect samples to be sure they are handled correctly. The flow cytometer can be transported to the researcher's lab or for research cruises. In this case costs for shipping the instrument, and travel and housing for the Instrument Specialist are extra. See Facility Use for more information.
For more information about the J.J. MacIsaac Facility contact the Director or Instrument Specialist Terry Cucci.
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