Thanks to a Major Research Instrumentation grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Randolph-Macon College Biology Department has a state-of-the-art cytometer and autosampler—an instrument that enables faculty and students to expand their research capabilities.

Biology Professor Melanie Gubbels-Bupp (Primary Investigator) is spearheading the project, along with co-PIs Professors Jim Foster (biology), Grace Lim-Fong (biology), and Massi Bardi (behavioral neuroscience). Professor Kim Gerecke (behavioral neuroscience) and Longwood University Professor Amorette Barber serve as senior personnel.

Research and Training
The NovoCyte 3005 flow cytometer and NovoSampler Pro autosampler facilitates undergraduate research and training across disciplines.

“The flow cytometer supports research projects directed by biology and behavioral neuroscience faculty at RMC and Longwood University,” says Gubbels-Bupp. “It enables us to study a range of topics including evolution, cell biology, neuroscience, immunology, and microbiology.”  The instrument is also included in laboratory modules in immunology and microbiology courses at RMC.

A Diverse Range of Topics
The new cytometer allows researchers to make advances in their understanding of a range of topics, including: how malnutrition affects immune cell migration, how exercise protects against inflammation in the brain, the interactions between stress and the immune system, mammalian fertility, the evolution of yeast due to human domestication, the effects of a common component of personal products on the immune system, and sex-differences in susceptibility to autoimmunity.

“The acquisition of this new equipment enhances the already strong intellectual community at RMC and Longwood University,” says Gubbels-Bupp, co-author of a paper, Setting Up an Undergraduate Immunology Lab: Resources and Examples. “Randolph-Macon College has a long tradition of engaging students in meaningful projects that result in student co-authored publications and conference presentations. The NovoCyte 3005 flow cytometer and NovoSampler Pro autosampler enable students to expand upon these research activities.”

RMC is also committed to extending research opportunities and support to underrepresented STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) minorities and women. As such, the flow cytometer will also be used in demonstrations and workshops conducted with Latina high school students enrolled in RMC’s NSF-funded Pathways to Science program.