UTHealth Flow Cytometry Service Center

Overview of Services

The Flow Cytometry Service Center has two flow cytometers and one cell sorter available to the public. The BD FACSAria II cell sorter and Cytek Aurora analyzer are located in our main facility at the IMM (SRB 617) whereas the BD LSRFortessa is located at the McGovern Medical School (MSB 5.308). We also have an additional workstation available for post-acquisition data analysis.

These specialized multicolor cell analysis instruments allow researchers to evaluate a large number of samples in a short time frame. The current instrumentation allows simultaneous acquisition of up to 40+ fluorophore signals from thousands of individual cells per second. The Flow Cytometry Service Center offers FACS acquisition and analysis, cell sorting, and consultation for experimental design, interpretation and troubleshooting.

Services provided: 

• Assisted and unassisted data acquisition
• Assisted and unassisted cell sorting
• Sorting for single cell deposition (eg. 96 well plate) 
• Post acquisition data analysis (FlowJo, Kaluza) 
• Experimental design assistance including panel design, controls, etc. 
• Troubleshooting
• Training to become an unassisted users

Please visit our website https://med.uth.edu/imm/service-centers/flow-cytometry-services/ for more detailed information

All investigators are encouraged to meet with the service center staff to discuss the panel design, appropriate controls, technical limitations of the experiment etc. prior to scheduling instrument time.

The FCSC offers training for both new and experienced investigators. Depending on the level of prior knowledge and the intended frequency of equipment use, the training plan is tailored to the individual’s needs.

Location and hours of operation

Training Policies

Basic flow cytometry online training course is available to all UTHealth Houston members. Whether you need flow cytometry in your own studies or just want to learn more of the technology, please contact the Facility Manager to access the course. This is also the first step to become unassisted user of any of our core facility instruments. However, in-person instrument specific training is reserved for investigators with prior flow cytometry experience and plans for recurring usage of the platform.

Contacts