The Flow Cytometry Experts

Flow Cytometry by its nature is classified as high complexity testing. As such, choosing a laboratory to perform these analyses is critical and selecting the right laboratory the first time is very important.

Flow Contract Site (FCS) Laboratory, LLC is a specialized CRO that offers non-GLP and GLP contract flow cytometry services for all drug development stages from the research and development phase to nonclinical testing and finally into the clinic.

With our level sophistication, high quality standards and technical expertise, FCS Laboratory is a proven leader in the field of flow cytometry services for drug development.

Artwork by Abu Atienza.

*Important Update*

We are pleased to announce the addition of a BD FACSVantage^TM flow cytometer and cell sorter to our equipment repertoire.

This new instrument will supplement our current BD FACSCanto^TM flow cytometer and allow us to double our capacity. The FACSVantage flow cytometer is also equipped with the violet laser, increasing the number of parameters that can be evaluated from 6 to 8 colors.

The FACSVantage flow cytometer also has full cell sorting capabilities to allow for separation of cells of interest from heterogeneous specimens.

This instrument is expected to come online during 2013. Contact us to inquire about these new capabilities!

Our Mission

"We collaborate with our clients, respond to their needs, anticipate regulatory change, invest in our facilities and our people and maintain ourselves at the forefront of flow cytometry."

Our Vision

We are a custom site that features flexibility. We pride ourselves on the ability to customize any assay to meet our client's needs.

"Just name it, we can do it!"

Web Extras

For more information please see the resources listed below:

• Brochures and Flyers
• Press Releases
• Publications
• Posters

"The Marker" Official Newsletter of FCS Laboratory

• Current Issue
• Archive
  

Brochures and Flyers

• Tri-fold Brochure
• Email Friendly Flyer

Press Releases

Millennium Medical Technologies - November 14, 2011.

Publications

• Published Abstracts
Peer-reviewed Manuscripts


Webinars
• AAPS Webinar - Introduction to Flow Cytometry
AAPS Webinar - Flow Cytometry Validation for Drug Development: Instruments and Methods


Posters
• NK Cell Function Assay
• Stability of Shipped Specimens
• Novel Stimulation Assay in Cyto Chex BCT

Published Abstracts
• Cyto 2010
• SOT 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting & ToxExpo


Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
• Green et al., 2011


Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
• Green et al., 2011


The Marker Archive
• 2010
2011
2012
2013


The Marker Archive
• Issue 1, Fourth Quarter 2010
  

The Marker Archive
• Issue 2, First Quarter 2011
• Issue 3, Second Quarter 2011
• Issue 4, Third Quarter 2011
• Issue 5, Fourth Quarter 2011
  

The Marker Archive
• Issue 6, First Quarter 2012
• Issue 7, Second Quarter 2012
• Issue 8, Third Quarter 2012
• Issue 9, Fourth Quarter 2012
  

The Marker Archive
• Issue 9, First Quarter 2013
  

AAPS Pharmaflow News
We successfully held two recent sessions of Webinar Training.
Please visit our new interactive LinkedIn Group "Flow Cytometry Action Program Committee" for more information or to join.
We will be holding a workshop at the ISAC Cyto 2013 conference on May 19th. This workshop will cover flow cytometry in regulated environments (GLP/GMP/CLIA ). The Pharmaflow Committee will be also presenting a session on receptor occupancy on May 21st.
There will be an encore of the receptor occupancy session at the concurrent 2013 AAPS National Biotechnology Meeting on May 22nd.

Affiliations
FCS laboratory is proud to be affiliated with the following groups and programs:



What Sets FCS Laboratory Apart from other Flow Cytometry Labs?
• First rate and personal customer service with frequent project updates
• State of the art facilities and equipment
• The owners of FCS Laboratory are trained on client processes so turnover is never an issue
• Prompt, clear, comprehensive, and accurate reporting
• Turn-around time unequaled by any other contract laboratory
• Up front itemized pricing with no hidden costs


Contact FCS Laboratory
FCS Laboratory is located in the Totem Valley Business Center in Kirkland, WA near Seattle's biotechnology sector, clinical sites and animal facilities.
Flow Contract Site Laboratory, LLC
13029 NE 126th Place
Kirkland, WA 98034-7723
Phone: (425) 821-3900
FAX: (425) 821-3925
Email: info@fcslaboratory.com
To join our mailing list and receive our quarterly updates, please email marker@fcslaboratory.com.


Experience
The owners have combined experience of 20 years in flow cytometry and 15 years working in a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) environment.
Our laboratory can provide flow cytometry testing services in support of clinical trials, nonclinical toxicology studies, research and development stages or support in the evaluation of flow cytometric products. We have extensive experience in the data collection and analysis utilizing both straight-forward and complex gating strategies. While we specialize in assay development and customization, we also welcome routine flow cytometry projects such as standard surface immunophenotyping.
See also President Lynette Brown and VP Jennifer J. Stewart


Lynette Brown, MS, CHT
Lynette has 10 years professional experience in flow cytometry both in the clinical and research settings. Lynette has experience with many specimen types including whole blood and tissue from rodents, dogs, non-human primates and humans. She has developed and validated numerous assays for surface and intracellular markers and NK cell function that have been used on more than 50 GLP studies.
Lynette is in charge of the day to day operation of the laboratory which includes training, instrument maintenance and validation, specimen handling, sample acquisition and data analysis.
For more information, please see her CV.


Jennifer J Stewart, PhD
Dr. Stewart has over 20 years professional experience and is responsible for overseeing internal and client sponsored research, preclinical or clinical drug studies using human specimens, non-human primate, dog or rodent models. She scientifically reviews the documentation, analyzes and reports flow cytometry data and communicates directly with Study Directors, Study Monitors and Clients.
Dr. Stewart serves on the SmartCube Consilium Experts Network providing insights and expertise on the drug development industry and she is a scientific reviewer for the Journal of Immunological Methods and Clinical and Vaccine Immunology.
For more information, please see her CV.


Specialized Service
By focusing on flow cytometry services, FCS Laboratory is able to ensure that there is no dilution of the scientific and managerial focus because of unrelated upstream and downstream functions.
Compiled over 100 reports for GLP and non-GLP studies. Completed validation plans and reports used for 50+ GLP studies.
Regulatory history includes employment at a facility that had two Food and Drug Administration inspections and the flow cyto-
metry portion inspected by the FDA showed no findings.



Specimen Shipping
FCS Laboratory operates as an outsourcing CRO in which specimens are shipped to us for analysis. This provides our clients more flexibility in choosing a laboratory and reduces overload of their internal resources.
Since we rely on shipped specimens, we conduct rigorous qualification and validation of our assays to ensure specimen stability during shipping does not impact the study data.
Please see our recent poster presented at the 50th Anniversary Society of Toxicology Meeting showing the stability of surface, activation and intracellular markers on shipped specimens under US domestic and international shipping time frames.


Partnership
Our scientists are interested in fostering collaborative opportunities that will move the field of flow cytometry for drug development forward. Some of our current involvement includes:
Membership in the Pharmaflow Steering Committee, a subgroup of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Ligand Binding Assay Bioanalytical Focus Group (LBABFG). We work with experts in the field to establish recommendations, guidelines and criteria for using flow cytometry assays and instrumentation during drug development.
We have established a relationship with Bates Technical College in Tacoma, WA to assist in training the next generation of flow cytometry scientists.


Immunophenotyping
We use BD FACSCanto^TM technologies to analyze up to 6-color antibody panels. When our and BD FACSVantage^TM comes online we will be able to analyze up to 8 colors. Our instruments are validated to meet GLP and 21 CFR Part 11 compliancy.
Please see our flyer for more detailed information on our antibody panels.

• T, B and NK cell enumeration
• T-lymphocyte subsets and activation
• B-lymphocyte subsets and surrogates
• Monocytes, Granulocytes and Dendritic Cells
• Custom Panels also available, please inquire!


Bead-Based Methods
We utilize commercially available bead sets to evaluate the following:
• HLA typing using One Lamda's FlowPRA^® technology
• Excreted cytokines with the BD^TM Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) Kits and the Ebiosciences FlowCytomix^TM Multiple Analyte Detection System
• Cell enumeration of absolute lymphocyte counts using BD Trucount^TM Tubes and Invitrogen CountBright^TM Absolute Counting Beads
• Enrichment of cell populations of interest using STEMCELL Technologies EasySep^® and Miltenyi MACS^® Separators


Cell Signaling
We are proud to offer flow cytometry assays for elucidation of signal transduction pathways.
Please see our flyer for more detailed information on our intracellular markers and stains.

• Intracellular protein staining of cytokines and transcription factors
• Detection of key protein activation states and cross-talk using phospho-specific antibodies
• Measurements of DNA content, Cell Cycle Progression and Apoptosis


Cellular Functional Assays
Cellular functional assays using the flow cytometry platform can demonstrate whether or not a cell is capable of performing certain functions.
• Cell count and viability measurements by Guava^® PCA^TM technology
• Cell Proliferation Assay
• CTL Assay
• Natural Killer (NK) Cell Activity, please see our recent poster for more information on correlation of surface biomarker expression with NK Cell killing


We want to hear from you!
Please direct inquiries and/or questions to info@fcslaboratory.com. To help us respond to your request, please enter your name, email address, phone number, company name and a brief description of your flow cytometry needs and a representative from FCS Laboratory will respond to you shortly.
For a faster response and to speak directly to a flow cytometry expert, do not hesitate to call us at (425) 821-3900.
Thank you for your interest in FCS Laboratory!
To join our mailing list and receive our quarterly updates, please email marker@fcslaboratory.com.