Five years ago, for the first time in the country, to train young scientists and researchers on flow cytometry, BD Life Sciences -Biosciences and Jamia Hamdard University started BD-JH FACS Academy at Jamia Hamdard in New Delhi, India.

BD-JH FACS Academy is an Industry-Academia collaboration that aims at offering basic and advanced training courses, workshops and seminars in flow cytometry. 

Having a deep expertise in bioscience and genomics, BD Biosciences has taken up a leadership role in evolving Flow Cytometry, one of the most advanced techniques in Biomedical Sciences, in the country. With programs like FACS eLEARN, BD Biosciences not only managed to bring industry and academia on one platform to develop capacity in Flow Cytometry but with the digital format, also is enabling professionals from across the country to have an easy access to advanced technologies.

“We have always been committed to developing new solutions to empower research labs, and supporting academia, pharmaceutical and biotech companies to develop and advance their quality research works. Moving forward with same focus, we started BD-JH FACS Academy at Jamia Hamdard. This year, we have included new instruments like BD FACSMelody cell sorter and also an established platform BD FACSCantoII cell analyzer bringing latest technologies and instrument platform for researchers and clinicians to gets hands-on experience. We are hopeful that FACS eLearn program will enable professionals who are already in a job or a regular academic program to get a ready access and opportunity to learn basic and advanced Flow Cytometry at one’s own pace and convenience” said Murli Sundrani, Business Director, BD Life Sciences-Biosciences India.

In the year 2012, BD and Jamia Hamdard established a flow cytometry training and education facility named BD-JH FACS Academy. In last five years, it has trained 750 users across the country and overseas. Encouraged by the overwhelming response, BD Biosciences designed the web based training program - FACS eLEARN, for professionals who are already in a job or a regular academic program and may not be available for regular contact time with the faculty. The web module and e-mail support program will be followed by a hands-on experience on Flow Cytometry instruments and applications at the Academy. The program will start from October 3rd, 2017 and is open for the registration.

“I am glad that our relationship with BD continues to be a success story. This partnerships is an excellent example of academia-industry interaction. The educational program FACS eLearn has been a successful initiative jointly offered by BD and Jamia Hamdard. The feedback from candidates who obtained training and certification have been very positive. I am confident that academic programs under the FACS eLearn initiative will be contemporary, will have elements of latest development in the field and provide ample opportunity for hands-on exposure to the candidates” added Prof. (Dr). Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard.

Flow cytometry is a laser-based, biophysical technology employed in cell counting, cell sorting, biomarker detection and protein engineering, by suspending cells in a stream of fluid and passing them through an electronic detection apparatus.