Flow Cytometry Core
Sarah F. Andrews, Ph.D.
Chief, B Cell Immunobiology Section
Director, Flow Cytometry Core
Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator
Program Description
The Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Flow Cytometry Core Facility (FCC) works closely with the immunology laboratories at the VRC, managing a range of instruments from advanced analyzers to sophisticated cell sorters. The FCC serves both the research community and evaluation of clinical trials conducted at the VRC. The FCC has become internationally recognized as a leader in the development and application of multicolor flow cytometry. These efforts include creation of novel antibody-conjugated fluorochromes, validation techniques for instrumentation and development of safety protocols.
The FCC currently manages fourteen instruments capable of serving a wide range of clinical and research demands: (1) nine BD FACSymphony A5 SE instruments capable of measuring 50 parameters with both spectral and compensation-based analysis and equipped with high-throughput robotic units; and (2) five BD FACSymphony S6 Cell sorters capable of measuring 30 parameters and equipped with StepSort to enhance the accuracy and speed of single-cell plate sorting. The cell sorters are housed in Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories designed for infectious cell sorting. The FCC facility strives to remain at the forefront of cytometric technology across instrumentation, reagents, detection, and analysis.
Biography
Education
Ph.D., 2008, University of Washington
Dr. Sarah Andrews obtained a PhD in Immunology in 2008 at the University of Washington under Dr. David Rawlings. Her PhD work focused on immune tolerance mechanisms and cell signaling pathways controlling B cell fate during B cell development. In 2009 she joined the laboratory of Dr. Patrick Wilson at the University of Chicago as a postdoctoral fellow to study human B cell response to influenza vaccination just as the 2009 pandemic H1N1 emerged. In 2014 she joined the Vaccine Research Center as a Staff Scientist where she continued her work investigating B cell responses to vaccines. She is now Chief of the B cell Immunobiology Section and Earl Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator at the VRC and Director of the Flow Cytometry Core.
Selected Publications
Reifel KM, Aspland A, Dervish S, Douagi I, Fears AC, Jellison ER, Midkiff CC, Mockus-Daehn T, Moström MJ, Solga M, Swan BK, Thomas J, Perfetto S. Verifying Proper Function of the Aerosol Evacuation System Prior to Sorting Potentially Infectious Samples. Curr Protoc. 2025 Mar;5(3):e70123. doi: 10.1002/cpz1.70123. PMID: 40116472; PMCID: PMC11927378.
Liechti T, Van Gassen S, Beddall M, Ballard R, Iftikhar Y, Du R, Venkataraman T, Novak D, Mangino M, Perfetto S, Larman HB, Spector T, Saeys Y, Roederer M. A robust pipeline for high-content, high-throughput immunophenotyping reveals age- and genetics-dependent changes in blood leukocytes. Cell Rep Methods. 2023 Oct 23;3(10):100619. doi: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2023.100619. PMID: 37883924; PMCID: PMC10626267.
Reifel KM, Swan BK, Jellison ER, Ambrozak D, Baijer J, Nguyen R, Monard S, Lyon G, Fontes B, Perfetto SP. Procedures for Flow Cytometry-Based Sorting of Unfixed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Infected Cells and Other Infectious Agents. Cytometry A. 2020 Jul;97(7):674-680. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.24040. Epub 2020 Jun 3. PMID: 32488957; PMCID: PMC7300747
Perfetto SP, Hogarth PJ, Monard S, Fontes B, Reifel KM, Swan BK, Baijer J, Jellison ER, Lyon G, Lovelace P, Nguyen R, Ambrozak D, Holmes KL. Novel Impactor and Microsphere-Based Assay Used to Measure Containment of Aerosols Generated in a Flow Cytometer Cell Sorter. Cytometry A. 2019 Feb;95(2):173-182. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.23680. Epub 2018 Dec 18. PMID: 30561906; PMCID: PMC6375770.
Perfetto SP, Chattopadhyay PK, Wood J, Nguyen R, Ambrozak D, Hill JP, Roederer M. Q and B values are critical measurements required for inter-instrument standardization and development of multicolor flow cytometry staining panels. Cytometry A. 2014 Dec;85(12):1037-48. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.22579. Epub 2014 Oct 23. PMID: 25346474.