Flow cytometry is an incredibly efficient technique for counting and examining the physical and biological characteristics of cells and particles. The technique has many applications in humans, animals, plants and microorganisms.
(opens in a new window)Dr Alfonso Blanco directs the UCD Conway Flow Cytometry Core Facility, which offers a comprehensive suite of services designed to empower your research, encompassing flow cytometry, cell sorting, metabolomics, live cell imaging, and advanced nanoparticle and extracellular vesicle characterisation. We provide access to cutting-edge instrumentation, dedicated workstations, and specialised software for analysis. What really differentiates our service is the expertise of the team in assisting with the analysis of complex results for clients and research partners. Beyond just equipment, we are committed to fostering expertise through comprehensive training programmes and direct access to our world-class technical specialists for expert advice and troubleshooting.
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Flow cytometry technology can be used to measure intrinsic cell characteristics such size or autofluorescence, and extrinsic cell characteristics, i.e. DNA, internal and external receptors. This has many applications in humans, animals, plants and microorganisms with the most common applications in cell cycle, apoptosis/necrosis, ploidy determination, immunophenotyping, protein expression and Ca2+ concentration.
The key advantages of cell sorting is the ability to achieve high purity of isolated cell populations, even for rare cells, allowing for downstream applications that require homogeneous samples, such as gene expression analysis (e.g., single-cell RNA sequencing), cell culture, functional assays, and therapeutic interventions. This precision and ability to physically separate viable cells of interest make it an invaluable tool for a wide range of research areas, including immunology, cancer biology, stem cell research, and drug discovery.
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Combining real-time metabolic analysis with multiplex cytokine profiling, technologies like the Agilent Seahorse XF Pro and Luminex MAGPIX offer researchers a comprehensive view of cellular function, enabling deeper insights into metabolic activity and immune signaling in health and disease.
Explore
We offer a comprehensive suite of instruments tailored for the in-depth analysis and characterisation of nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles and liposomes. Researchers working in the nano-environment can leverage leading technologies to gain critical insights into their materials.
Monitor cell behaviour and cellular processes in real-time, providing kinetic and spatial information.
ExploreWe offer flexible access models to suit your needs. Trained users are encouraged to take an active role, preparing and running their own samples to maximize independence and optimise experimental workflows. For those new to any of our platforms or requiring additional support, our team provides a convenient sample running service and results analysis, ensuring you can still leverage our advanced capabilities without prior training.
If you are interested in becoming an independent user on a particular technology, we can provide training on specialised equipment that is centrally located, properly maintained and managed by a team of technical staff. Training can be tailored to your particular needs and covers aspects such as:
We provide accredited training (ECTS) for graduates and continuing professional development (CPD) modules for postdoctoral researchers in aspects of our core technologies:
Core technology bookings are made using an online portal, (opens in a new window)Calira (previously called Clustermarket)
Existing user? (opens in a new window)Login to the Calira system
First time user? Contact the relevant staff member in the facility to register initially.
Accredited Training
