7-Laser Flow Cytometer

• Subject Area: Microbiology, Virology and Immunology
• Term: Funded in 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 574083988

The Flow Cytometry Core Facility of the Medical Faculty of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn operates two high parametric, spectral analysis flow cytometers. These cytometers are already heavily booked. An additional spectral analysis flow cytometer is required to expand the booking capacity for multi-color analyses with over 20 fluorescent dyes. Spectral flow cytometers have played an increasingly central role in supporting numerous research projects in recent years. However, due to the high demand and the increasing complexity of the analyses, some of which involve more than 30 fluorescence parameters, the existing devices are already working at full capacity. This leads to considerable waiting times and impairs the efficiency and progress of ongoing research work. In addition, spectral flow cytometers with identical equipment and excitation light sources offer advantages over conventional flow cytometers that significantly expand the range of applications of multiparametric flow cytometry. These include the use of dyes with closely related emission spectra or the subsequent processing of the entire spectrum by “spectral unmixing” and “autofluorescence extraction” to improve signal quality and thus sensitivity. The use of fluorescent proteins in model organisms, the associated tissue-specific autofluorescence and the resulting problems in subsequent multi-parametric immunophenotyping are a well-known example of this. Novel applications, e.g. in the field of markerless phenotyping and the processing of extensive data sets in bioinformatics, are the subject of current research. To counteract the above-mentioned bottlenecks and improve the quality and speed of scientific investigations, we are applying for the procurement of an additional spectral flow cytometer. This new device will not only reduce waiting times but also increase the capacity for highly parametric analyses and thus significantly strengthen the research infrastructure of our Core Facility and the university's medical campus.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: 7-Laser Durchflusszytometer
• Instrumentation Group: 3500 Zellzähl- und Klassiergeräte (außer Blutanalyse), Koloniezähler
• Applicant Institution: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
• Leader: Professor Dr. Christian Kurts