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About the Flow Cytometry Unit

The Flow Cytometry Unit provides a state of the art flow cytometry service to iMM researchers as well as external groups from other research institutes. We aim at training researchers in the adequate use of the instruments and also on flow cytometry principles, experiment planning, as well as data analysis and interpretation. The Flow Cytometry Facility also provides a cell sorting service using two High Speed Cell Sorters (BD FACSAria III and BD FACSAria IIu) operated by dedicated staff.

Team

Head of Unit

Mariana Fernandes has a MSc degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. She had her first contact with flow cytometry while working as a research technician and during her Master’s. During this time, she was involved in several projects focused in characterizing the internalization of classic and new antileishmanial drugs or compounds by macrophages infected with Leishmania spp. Her first flow cytometry work began in 2015, as a technician in the Flow Cytometry Unit at iMM. Afterwards, she moved to the IGC Flow Cytometry Facility as a Research Support Specialist, where she worked for several years. With the obtained experience, she embraced a new challenge, going to the Institute of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Charité – Universitätsmedizin in Berlin, where she set up and managed the new Benjamin Franklin Flow Cytometry Facility. In 2021, she was appointed as Head of Flow Cytometry Unit at Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM).

mariana.fernandes@medicina.ulisboa.pt

Technical Support

Andreia Santos has a BSc in Biology and a MSc in Genetic and Molecular Biology from Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa. Andreia joined the Flow Cytometry Unit in September 2017 after working at Ana Espada de Sousa’s lab on human T-cell development, namely the role of IL-4 in the lineage plasticity of human CD4 single positive thymocytes.

assantos@medicina.ulisboa.pt

Rute Gonçalves has a BSc in Biochemistry and a MSc in Molecular Genetics and Biomedicine from Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Rute joined the Flow Cytometry Unit in December 2018, after working at the Immunobiology and Pathogenesis Lab at CEDOC, under the supervision of Dra. Helena Soares. She was also responsible for CEDOC’s Flow Cytometry Facility from April 2018 to October 2018, providing cell sorting services, supporting researchers in cell analyzers as well as software and data analysis and performing all the daily equipment maintenance and quality control.

rute.goncalves@medicina.ulisboa.pt

Services

Our flow cytometers are grouped into two categories: cell analyzers and cell sorters. Cell Analyzers are instruments for acquisition only, cells cannot be recovered once they are analyzed in the instrument. Cell sorters are capable of physically “sorting” out a population(s) of interest.

More info on our

Prices

Users are billed for the actual time of usage. Online booking is mandatory for each usage session. Cancellations and no shows will be charged extra, please check the usage rules for more details.

Check our

Hours

9 a.m. - 6 p.m. for Training, Assistance and Consultations

24 hours, 7 days a week for Equipment Usage by authorized, trained users (see Usage Rules)

How to use the service

All new users must contact the Flow Cytometry Unit to get proper training in using the systems and know the usage rules. Only after training will a user gain access to the Flow Cytometry room and to the online booking system. To get access to the cell sorters online booking, users must contact the Flow Cytometry staff. Please read our policies and guidelines here.