Assessment of Biocontainment Efficacy and Flow Cytometric Impact of a Novel Platform in High Containment Laboratories

Introduction: Flow cytometry remains one of the most central technologies with broad applications in immunology and infectious disease research. In the lack of compatible measures for pathogen inactivation, cytometric analysis of live cells derived from infectious samples classically poses exposure risks to both operators and environment. Enclosing a cell analyzer in a biosafety cabinet (BSC) could significantly improve safety margins for laboratory operations but has unknown impacts on instrument performance. Here, we describe and characterize the performance of a novel, BSC-housed analyzer for cytometric analysis of infectious samples within a biosafety level-3 laboratory. Methods: We investigated internal BSC and ultraviolet (UV) laser temperature over time. System stability was assessed using quality control particles with the BSC on and off. Aerosol generation was tested at four locations in normal and simulated failure modes using fluorescent Dragon Green beads. Results: Under these conditions, the temperature of the BSC and UV laser was stable during operations. The BSC did not significantly impact instrument performance or stability. Low amounts of aerosols were detected from vulnerable points in the system, and 15-fold reduction in aerosol generation was achieved with the introduction of a plate seal. Conclusions: Utilizing a tailored platform for cell analysis in high-containment laboratory, we demonstrate that BSC enclosure of the analyzer preserved operational performance of both units. Aerosol measurement studies revealed the importance of a BSC-contained instrument when investigating infectious samples. Our findings stress the need to accelerate efforts toward the integration of cytometry-based technologies in high-containment laboratories.