​Download the Before You Sort Guide
Reference the "Before You Sort" PDF for all things sorting at DFCI Flow Core​

Policies

Guidelines

​​Cell Sorting Guidelines  

  • The core requires an extra scheduled 30 minutes per sort. 
    15 minutes at the beginning of the sort and your sort will end 15 minutes before the end of the reservation
  • The primary reservation contact should bring the samples into M-307 to assist in sample setup, which includes reviewing the cells, sorting parameters and gating populations  
  • Samples must be capped, and collection tubes must be brought in a secondary container 
  • Samples should be named numerically 
  • Sample filtration and re-suspension should be done just prior to your scheduled sort time 
  • In the case of problematic samples, we will be in contact via the phone number you provided in iLabs
  • If staff cannot contact you, they will use best judgment to prioritize and troubleshoot issues within the confines of the reservation time, extra time will not be offered if unavailable 
  • All cancellation policies here are still in effect 
Late Arrival
  • LATE ARRIVAL: You are required to contact the core directly. If the staff is unable to answer the phone, please leave a voice message stating when you will arrive. 
  • If a researcher is 20 minutes late for their reservation and has not called 617-632-3179 or emailed the flow core general mailbox, their reservation will be cancelled and they will be charged, unless the time is utilized by another researcher. ​
​Unscheduled Maintenance
​If an unexpected issue arises with an instrument the core will notify the scheduled researchers immediately of any delay. We ask for everyone’s patience and understanding in dealing with instrument maintenance. If you cannot sort or analyze your experiment at the delayed time, or on another instrument, we will delete the reservation at no charge.

​Lentivirus and ​Human Primary Cells
Lentiviruses can deliver a significant amount of viral RNA into the DNA of the host cell and have the unique ability among retroviruses of being able to infect non-dividing cells, so they are one of the most efficient methods of a gene delivery vector. HIV, SIV, and FIV are all examples of lentiviruses.

Sorting Lentivirus and Human Primary Cells
Requirements:
  •  Bring a red Biohazard disposal bag to the lab at the beginning of you sort. Y
  • Dispose of the  biohazard bag at the end of your sort.
  • Samples must also be contained in closed cap tubes (No Filter Caps). Lentivirus and HPC samples will only be sorted if you meet these requirements. 
​Read the full Lentivirus Sorting protocol here.
Read the full Human Primary Sorting protocol here.

Self-Run SONY MA900 User Policies  
SONY MA900 Users are responsible for basic maintenance:
  Cleaning instrument after sort completion
  Emptying the waste
  Powering  instrument off if they are the last person on the schedule for the day. 
*If an instrument is left on, the user will be charged for the duration of time that the instrument was left on. 
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