A spectral flow cytometry platform for the Australian Capital Territory

Flow cytometry has been a fundamental tool in immunology, cell biology and microbiology for over 30 years, enabling the quantification and characterization of individual cells from a variety of tissues. By using fluorescently labelled antibodies or probes to bind to cell surface or intracellular molecules, traditional flow cytometry machines can measure fewer than 20 cellular features. However, the recent introduction of spectral flow cytometry allows the simultaneous quantification of up to 64 cellular parameters with no compromise in sensitivity and at no extra cost, enhancing traditional applications and enabling new opportunities across diverse fields. We propose the purchase of a 5-laser spectral flow cytometer (Cytek Aurora) to support research in three major priority areas for institutions in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT): Ecosystem Resilience: The instrument will support projects in feral pest control, innovative approaches for managing devil facial tumours, and enhancing ecosystem resilience.Synthetic Biology: Spectral flow cytometry will advance organoid research, the development of “smart plants”, and genetic code expansion with non-canonical amino acids.Infection and Immunity: The instrument will be used to assess immune responses to veterinary vaccine adjuvants and evaluate antiviral innate immune responses in sheep.Current flow cytometry facilities in the ACT are limited to older machines that are used at full capacity, creating a bottleneck in research. The addition of this new technology will enable participating institutions to meet their strategic research goals while supporting national priorities in environmental protection, agricultural innovation and advancing Australian technological capabilities.