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Acquisition to boost LV research

Biology professor Christine Broussard presents her department's new flow cytometer, which was acquired from Cal Tech in March. Once the cytometer's work station is updated, students will be able to study and identify different cell types. / photo by Adam Omernik
Biology professor Christine Broussard presents her department’s new flow cytometer, which was acquired from Cal Tech in March. Once the cytometer’s work station is updated, students will be able to study and identify different cell types. / photo by Adam Omernik

by Kenneth Todd Ruiz
Assistant Editor

The University of La Verne biology department has recently acquired new laboratory equipment that will enable faculty and students to perform cellular analysis, which ­ among other things ­ can determine whether cells are cancerous and chart their degeneration.

The instrument, called a flow cytometer, will help bring ULV research facilities up to par with other universities, said Christine Broussard, assistant professor of biology, who was the driving force behind the acquisition.

“(Flow cytometry) has revolutionized research being done for immunophenotyping (cell identification and analysis),” she said. “It’s essential.”

Purchasing a new cytometer, however, would have required roughly $200,000.

But thanks to what Broussard called a chance opportunity, the department was able to purchase an older model from the California Institute of Technology for only $24,000.

It can be difficult for science departments at liberal arts colleges to be competitive because building comprehensive laboratories can be so expensive, Broussard said.

In fact, Broussard was inquiring at different facilities about renting time on their cytometers when she lamented to a colleague at Cal Tech how inconvenient it was not having one here.

The rest, she said, is “a story of serendipity.”

Rochelle Diamond, manager of Cal Tech’s flow cytometry group, told Broussard about a unit in Cal Tech’s lab that had gone unused for several years.

Cal Tech made an offer to sell the instrument that was too good to refuse.

The flow cytometer consists of two components; an optical unit where the laser scans the sample, and a computer workstation used by the operator. The work station that came with the cytometer is obsolete, and the biology department is purchasing a $20,000 upgrade, Broussard said.

ULV students familiar with the device will not only be able to conduct advanced research but could also participate in an internship program at Cal Tech.

“The idea when we sold it was to eventually get students once a year to come in and help,” Diamond said.

Seniors Kristine Zapata and Candice Taan will be using the cytometer for their senior projects, studying the effects of different substances on cell health.

Flow cytometry also has important clinical applications. Hospitals, such as the City of Hope, use it to diagnose cancer patients. Another clinical use is counting important white blood cells in HIV-infected patients to gauge the health of their immune systems.

In the future, the ULV biology department hopes to offer training in such clinical uses.

Broussard credits the purchase to the teamwork of her department colleagues, and their willingness to sacrifice their own purchasing “wish lists” when this opportunity arose.

“We really are excited about the instrument,” said Robert Neher, professor of biology. “Having it here gives us a powerful new tool and direction to study cells.”

With the device students will be able to perform immunophenotyping, the study, identification and analysis of samples such as animal cells, plant cells or phytoplankton. Such analysis can determine if cells are cancerous, or evaluate their state of degeneration. Another valuable use will be looking at how cells respond to different chemical signals in their environment.

“If you had to pick any aspect of scientific research that is the hottest today, it is cell signaling,” Broussard said.

Broussard added that there is an important lesson to learn from this success story.

“Make lots of friends.”

Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Managing Editor
Kenneth Todd Ruiz
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Adam Omernik, Photography Editor
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