Director Michael Yeaman
Location St. John’s Cardiovascular Research Building, Level 2
Email MRYeaman@ucla.edu
Phone # 310-222-6248

The Division of Adult Infectious Diseases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center/Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute houses a dual-laser (argon and helium-neon), 4-color FACS Calibur flow cytometer and cell sorter. This instrument was awarded to the Division through an NIH instrument grant. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) is a powerful tool by which individual cells or populations of cells can be examined and compared using specific fluorescent probes. The addition of the cell sorter furthers allow isolation and capture of individual cells or cell-cell complexes that exhibit desirable or unique characteristics as determined by fluorescence properties. Therefore, the simultaneous and complementary flow cytometry and cell sorting capabilities of the instrument facilitate the molecular and physiological examination of individual cells, and enables collection of living cells for further study. In the field of infectious diseases research, this instrument has greatly advanced our ability to determine the effects of new anti-infective agents upon drug-resistant microorganisms, the interaction of immune system cells with these pathogens, and rapid screening and acquisition of cell clones expressing strategic markers or functions, to name of few of the advances. Yet, FACS analysis is also applicable to a broad spectrum of biomedical research interests in which the study of individual cells or their interactions is desirable or required. While the instrument is not a core facility, it is made available for use by investigators on the Harbor-UCLA/LA BioMed campus. Dr. Michael Yeaman (PI) and Dr. Scott Filler (Co-I) are the facility directors, and they or their technicians are available by appointment to advise and oversee user training and use of this instrument for specific needs of Harbor-UCLA investigators. Users supply their own specific reagents, with instrument and technician time deducted from a pre-specified investigator resources on the basis of a competitive recharge rate.