Centre for Flow Cytometry and Microscopy

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario
What the facility does

Cell sorting, training/education on analytical flow cytometers and confocal microscopes, live cell imaging, experimental design consultation and troubleshooting.

Areas of expertise

The Centre for Flow Cytometry and Microscopy was established in 2001 with the goal of providing access to state-of-the art flow cytometry and microscopy instrumentation to the scientists at Sunnybrook Research Institute. The facility serves scientists and clinician-scientists whose research interests range from the study of neurodegenerative disease to cancer biology and immune system development. We are equipped with 2 cell sorters, 2 analytical flow cytometers, a laser scanning confocal microscope, spinning disk confocal microscope and a widefield microscope.

Research services
  • Cell sorting
  • Analytical flow cytometry (assisted or unassisted)
  • Magnetic cell separation
  • Confocal microscopy
  • Live cell imaging
  • Training and education on analytical flow cytometers and confocal microscopes
Sectors of application
  • Fisheries and aquaculture
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
  • Ocean industries
Specialized labEquipmentFunction
Flow CytometryBD FACSAria™ IIu10-colour, fixed-alignment cell sorter equipped with 3 lasers (355nm, 488nm and 633nm)
 BD FACSAria Fusion™
  • 16-colour, fixed-alignment cell sorter equipped with 4 lasers (405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm)
  • Sorter is situated within biosafety cabinet
 BD LSR II4-laser (355nm, 405nm, 488nm and 633nm), 13-colour digital analyzer
 BD LSR II4-laser (405nm, 488nm, 561nm and 633nm) 11-colour digital analyzer
MicroscopyNikon A1 Laser Scanning Confocal
  • Laser scanning microscopy on both live and fixed samples
  • Tokai live cell incubation chamber available
  • 32 channel spectral detection
  • 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 640nm lasers
 Zeiss Spinning Disk ConfocalCSU-X1M Spinning disk microscope with both Axiocam and Evolve® 512 EMCCD camera. Live cell incubation chamber available. 405nm, 488nm, 561nm, 639nm lasers.