A new resource is now available to the Yale community for deep profiling of cells and tissues. It is a shared facility for CyTOF, a mass-spec based cell analyzer, opening in TAC in November 2013. This new technology is a variation of flow cytometry and provides multi-parametric single cell data. In place of fluorescence-based antibody labels, antibodies are conjugated to stable heavy metal isotopes and labeling is detected using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. CyTOF improves on fluorescent flow cytometry by allowing detection of a greater number of markers per sample (~30-40 instead of 4-8) without background signals, and most importantly, without overlap between signals. The number of cells needed and the preparation required are the same as for traditional flow cytometry. The ability to detect a large number of markers, and each marker without bleed-through, allows investigators to define much more from the same number of cells, and should be extremely valuable for translational studies of limited sample size. The current panels of 40 parameters include many cell lineage markers as well as cytokines, and signaling mediators, e.g. phosphorylation markers. There are >200 antibodies available commercially, and in-house conjugation is straightforward for antibodies relevant to individual investigators. CyTOF has a theoretical limit of 100 parameters.
Our facility will maintain a bank of common reagents for the convenience of users. Another feature that may be useful for new users is the metal conjugated anti-fluorochrome antibodies (e.g. anti-FITC) that can be used to label your existing fluorescent reagents.
Interested users can contact CyTOF Facility Director Dr. Ruth R. Montgomery to develop this technology for research, clinical, diagnostic, or drug development projects. CyTOF is the product of DVS Sciences.