Lehigh University Receives BD Flow Cytometer

left to right: Vincent Forlenza (BD); Associate Professor Robert Skibbens; College of Arts & Sciences Dean, Anne Meltzer; Gene Vivino (BD); Assistant Professor Stefan Maas; Department Chair, Jeff Sands; Professor Neal Simon; Assistant Professor Matthias Falk

Lehigh University received a significant enhancement to its research infrastructure this November with a gift of a new state-of-the-art flow cytometer from BD, a leading global medical technology company.  Flow cytometry in the research setting has applications for immune function, vaccine research, infectious disease, and oncology, and the donation of this new system puts Lehigh at the forefront in cell analysis capabilities.

"The technologically advanced BD FACSCanto II  flow cytometry system provides accelerated flow rates that will greatly increase the efficiency of data acquisition for faculty and students,” said Neal Simon, professor in the Department of Biology at Lehigh, who worked with BD to help secure the equipment. “As a two-laser instrument, the BD FACSCanto II will enable simultaneous analyses of numerous cell surface and cell cycle markers.”

The acquisition of the new flow cytometer will enable faculty members in Biological Sciences and other departments at Lehigh to assess defects in cell cycle progression—a hallmark of cancer research. The equipment will also enhance other studies at Lehigh, such as the analysis of cell surface receptors as they relate to human reproduction/infertility and cell-to-cell signaling.

Keeping pace with technology to provide researchers with access to complex, state-of-the art research equipment and scientific instrumentation is essential for every college and university. Lehigh University strives to create for its researchers an environment that stimulates exposure to new ideas, research methods, and technological advances, which translate into the publication of vital research findings. 

“The BD FACSCanto II system will allow Lehigh to incorporate novel methods in optics, cell imaging, and detection into our instructional curriculum in biology, bioengineering, and applied life science,” said Robert Skibbens, associate professor of biology, who also worked on the BD/Lehigh team.  “Routine access to advanced flow cytometry will strengthen Lehigh’s research capabilities and competitiveness for funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.”

The research-intensive Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh is comprised of 22 faculty members trained in top-tiered research institutions across the U.S. To enhance its capabilities, Lehigh continuously invests in advanced instrumentation. Other recent acquisitions also support advanced genomics and imaging.

In April 2006, Lehigh hosted a symposium on Industry-University Partnerships in Bioscience and Biotechnology, with a focus on innovations in licensing, strategies, practices, and structures that optimize the commercial potential of the university as a collaborator with the private sector.

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