Crucial Cell Technology Conference In Wellington

Crucial Cell Technology Conference In Wellington

“Today, 22 April 2009, 35 research scientists and clinicians from across the country will meet at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, Wellington, to advance their knowledge, skills and understanding of the most critical cell analysis technology, flow cytometry. 

The cell is one of the most basic units of life.  The number of cells in the human body is estimated to be in the trillions, each with its own unique set of features and tasks to perform.  This sheer complexity poses a significant challenge to scientists and clinicians, whose search for the one or few cells responsible for causing disease is often akin to hunting for the proverbial needle in a haystack.  With flow cytometry, also known as FACS (Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting), this is now possible. 

So how does flow cytometry work?  Firstly, cells from a sample of blood or tissue are labelled with dyes attached to antibodies specific for particular types of cells.  Examples of these include T cells, the so-called soldiers of the immune system, or the sentinel-like dendritic cells.  The cells are then passed at the extraordinary rate of tens of thousands of cells per second through a series of laser beams in a machine called a flow cytometer. The different fluorescent patterns that are generated as a result of this process provide the clinician or scientist doing the experiment with a detailed picture of the number and types of cells present in their original sample. 

This pivotal technology is used by scientists at the Malaghan Institute, which houses New Zealand’s most state-of-the art flow cytometry suite, to develop therapies against diseases as diverse as cancer, asthma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and infectious disease. 

“One of the goals of the 2009 Conference of the New Zealand Flow Cytometry Group is to showcase the latest in cutting-edge flow cytometry technology,” said Ms Kylie Price, Manager of the Malaghan Institute Flow Cytometry Suite and Conference Convenor.  “These developments will enable our clinicians to diagnose disease more rapidly and accurately, by increasing the number of parameters used to define a particular disease.”

The keynote speaker for the meeting is Dr William Telford, who manages the National Cancer Institute Flow Cytometry Core Laboratory at the National Institutes of Health, USA.  Dr Telford’s core facility supports a wide range of research projects encompassing HIV, cancer studies and bone-marrow transplantation.

“Although the basic principles of flow cytometry have changed little since the first flow cytometer was developed in the late 1960’s, the applications of this technology have evolved substantially in recent years,” said Ms Price. 

“There have been many notable advancements in the technology surrounding flow cytometry; new solid-state lasers are available that are cheaper, smaller and more efficient and are capable of exciting a plethora of newly developed fluorescent probes.  In the advent of improved computer memory and speed, new software has been developed that allows for faster data analysis.” 

Ms Price highlights the significance of these recent advancements in flow cytometry.  “The majority of these changes have occurred within the last five years, meaning modern flow cytometers are capable of detecting multiple parameters on a single cell. One can ask up to 18 ‘questions’ about a particular cell such as:  what type of cell is it, what is it producing, which genes are switched on, is it activated, is it dying and if so how?“

“This conference aims to provide a platform for New Zealand Flow Cytometrists to discuss these recent developments and incorporate these advancements to facilitate the forging of new scientific discoveries.”

This is the first time the conference will be held at the Malaghan Institute and the conference organisers would like to acknowledge Millipore, Tree Star, Beckman Coulter, BD Biosciences, De Novo Software, Norrie Biotech, Pharmaco, Miltenyi Biotec and Spy Valley for sponsoring this meeting.”

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