Considerations for user consultation in a flow cytometry shared resource laboratory

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Laboratory Science
• Data Acquisition

Background:

• High-quality flow cytometric data relies heavily on effective user consultation within shared resource laboratories (SRLs).
• SRL staff face challenges in guiding diverse users to meet specific experimental needs.
• A standardized consultation process is needed to bridge the gap between experimental conception and data acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a structured user consultation platform for SRLs.
• To guide SRL staff in understanding researcher goals and providing expert advice.
• To enhance communication and improve experimental rigor in flow cytometry.

Main Methods:

• Describing considerations for SRLs to understand researcher objectives.
• Detailing how SRL staff can offer structured expert advice.
• Highlighting the educational component of consultations on best practices.

Main Results:

• A structured consultation platform addresses critical steps from experiment conception to sample acquisition.
• Consultations inform users about current best practices in cytometry.
• Consultation reports improve communication among SRLs, principal investigators, and research teams.

Conclusions:

• Implementing a standardized user consultation platform is essential for SRLs.
• This structured approach enhances the quality, rigor, and reproducibility of flow cytometric data.
• Best practices in user consultation are being developed by the ISAC SRL committee.