Diana Ordonez

EMBL-Heidelberg Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

The facility and EMBL’s scientific program are by all means very diverse and has very little in common with standard immunological Flow Cytometry core facilities. We have more than 100 different users from 31 different research groups. Our users come from very different backgrounds and project programs spanning from complex systems biology based on bacterial communities, the development of early cnidarians to simple bilaterians (Zebrafish, Drosophila), complex mammalian cell culture, all the way to disease models in mouse and primary human samples.  Given the broad nature of our user’s backgrounds, our support at the facility spans the complete field of Flow Cytometry experimentation (design, testing, execution, and final analysis).

The facility closely collaborates with other EMBL core facilities to develop and apply experimental procedures for single-cell sequencing, phenomics analysis, and metabolomics studies. It also plays a leading role in assessing and refining cutting-edge technologies. In the past five years, the facility has actively participated in early-access programs to evaluate new technologies from its industry partners. Notably, it formed a significant partnership with BD Biosciences for the early testing and characterization of the image cell sorter, a revolutionary breakthrough in the FACS field. This collaboration led to a high-impact publication describing the technology and established the facility as one of the first in Europe to offer Image Cell Sorting as a new service.

In the ever-evolving landscape of flow cytometry, where new technologies and methodologies emerge at an unprecedented pace, the facilities faces the critical challenge of staying at the forefront of innovation. How to keep cutting edge?. Join this crib talk to know about our facility, how we support our users, and how do we participate in collaborative research endeavours!.