Break-out: Setting Yourself Up for Core Success - A panel discussion

Suspension by day, imaging by night: how to efficiently manage your system and optimize utilization

Presented By: Jared K. Burks, PhD

Mass cytometry, be it suspension or imaging, opens the doors to a large user base. How can one efficiently utilize the system for the greatest research impact and support for your facility? How hard is it to switch between suspension and imaging modes? How does one support the reagent needs of both options?

Comparing fluorescent flow and mass cytometry optimization and implementation workflows

Presented By: Matthew Cochran, MS

The URMC FCR sought to compare both mass and fluorescent flow cytometry in practical terms such as time (preparation of sample and acquisition), cell recovery and cost of experiments to help guide our user base in choosing which technique was best for their needs. As a case study we partnered with the LungMAP project to help them achieve their goal of maximizing the information learned from precious lung samples. In this presentation we will quickly review this case study and the outcomes and future directions of this work.

High-throughput mass cytometry in a clinical research setting

Presented By: Emily Thrash, PhD

Biomarker discovery in clinical cancer research is limited by the inherent complexity of the disease and the immune response, as well as a lack of validated immune-phenotyping methodology. With the capability to measure up to 50 parameters from a single cell, mass cytometry using CyTOF® is well-poised to overcome these constraints and provide greater breadth and depth to cellular phenotyping. In a clinical setting, with large sample numbers collected at different timepoints, reduction of technical variability and in-depth analysis of cellular immune response is critical. By combining reference sample spike-in and palladium-based mass tag cell barcoding sample, our group has optimized a high-throughput workflow for generating reproducible and consistent CyTOF data. In our lab, we routinely use this workflow to comprehensively analyze activation, exhaustion, memory and trafficking cellular phenotypes in the peripheral immune system of cancer patients receiving therapy, and to detect biomarker candidates.

Engaging with pathologists on IMC projects: keys to success

Presented By: Akil Merchant, MD