BioVoice News May 2016 Issue 1 Volume1 | Page 26

tech talk “BD continues to receive overwhelming response in India” “ The BD FACSCelesta allows researchers to benefit from new innovations in instrument and reagent technology. They can now, with improved brightness and low spectral overlap, characterize, and resolve even dim staining populations of interest. 26 BioVoiceNews | May 2016 The return of bioscientists back to India is helping strengthen research and drug pipeline, feels Mr Robert Balderas, Vice President, R&D, BD Biosciences. During his recent visit to India, he shared valuable insights on various aspects related to flow cytometry and BD’s recent activities with the BioVoice BY RAHUL KOUL What have been your experiences so far with the ‘BD Horizon Tour’ on teaching flow cytometry techniques in India? Robert: While the first tour we had here, dealt with the development of funnel design, a high parameter one with a range of 10-18 colours. Last year, we produced the second tour that dealt with flow cytometry in intercellular proteins. Based on the feedback we received from these two, we decided to come up with the BD Horizon Tour 3. This year it was conducted at three places in India including Delhi on April 19, then in Pune, on April 20 at National Centre for Cell Science. Chennai hosted it in its last leg on April 22 at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. And the response here was again overwhelming. Did you provide any hands on training during the tour? There is more focus on the education during the tours than hands on training because of the huge number of audience we generally have at such venues. But at the same time, we have a large group of 10-12 application scientists in India who I believe work with the demo boxes (flow cytometers) that will go around