BD FACScans

About the FACScans

Biosaftey policy: Samples that are properly fixed in 2% PFA for several hours can be run on any of the analyzers in the lab. Please feel free to contact the director if you have any questions about this policy.

The FACScan is a three-color cell analyzer. Fluorochromes are excited by a blue laser at 488nm. The three fluorescence channels are as follows:

FL1: 515nm to 545nm
Used to detect FITC, GFP, AlexaFluor 488, etc.
FL2: 564nm to 606nm
Used to detect PE, dsRed, propidium iodide, etc.
The doublet discrimination module is used for cell cycle analysis in FL2.
FL3: 650nm and greater
Used to detect PerCP, PE-Cy5/Cychrome/Tri-color, propidium iodide, etc.

Samples for the FACScan should be in at least 250µl. A good cell concentration for analysis is 1x10^6/ml.

Samples must be run in Falcon polystyrene round-bottom 12x75mm test tubes. You can buy these without caps (#2052), with snap caps (#2054), or with cell strainer caps (#2235).

Please check your samples for aggregates and filter before running samples — if you can see any floating particles, they will clog the machine.