Viable infectious cell sorting in a BSL-3 facility

Methods Mol Biol. 2004:263:419-24. doi: 10.1385/1-59259-773-4:419.

Abstract

With the increase in demand for high-speed cell sorting of viable infectious and now therapeutic cell samples, safety concerns for the protection of flow cytometer operators have increased. This chapter describes a quick, sensitive, and reproducible procedure to assure sample containment before sorting these samples. This procedure includes aerosol containment, physical barriers, environmental controls, and personal protection. An aerosol management system produces a negative pressure within the sort chamber where aerosols are vacuumed directly into a HEPA filter. Physical barriers include the manufacturer's standard plastic shield and panels. The flow cytometer is contained in a BSL-3 laboratory for maximum environmental control and the operator is protected using a respiratory system. Containment is measured using highly fluorescent Glo-Germ particles under the same conditions as the cell sort but with the sorter adjusted to produce large amounts of aerosols. These aerosols are collected by a vacuum air sampling system for 10 min in three locations onto a glass slide and examined microscopically. With this system in place, aerosol containment can be measured quickly and efficiently, therefore reducing the risk to the operator when sorting viable infectious cells.

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols*
  • Air Microbiology
  • Cell Separation / instrumentation*
  • Cell Separation / methods*
  • Containment of Biohazards
  • Equipment Contamination*
  • Equipment Design
  • Flow Cytometry / instrumentation*
  • Flow Cytometry / methods*
  • Hazardous Substances / analysis*
  • Plastics

Substances

  • Aerosols
  • Hazardous Substances
  • Plastics