Robb Habbersett

For more than two decades I have been a member of the National Flow Cytometry Resource at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where new ground in flow cytometric technology and applications has been extensively explored. Over the last ten years I have developed, in close collaboration with Jim Jett, a compact, slow-flow system, capable of detecting individual phycoerythrin molecules (in solution) or measuring the size of individual DNA fragments ranging from 125 base pairs to nearly 500 kbp, typically using < 1 mW of laser power. This was a radical departure from most of my earlier career in which I focused on conventional cytometric instrumentation, but it has truly expanded my horizons and convinced me - more than ever before - that the future is absolutely wide open for new ways to apply flow cytometry, and to improve the technology.

Although I didn't know it at the time, my career in flow cytometry began in 1974, just after completing a BS in Biology at Penn State University, where I was working in Paul Todd's lab along with Dutch Boltz, Jim Wood and Jim Leary. One of my first tasks was to return a neglected Cytograph and a Cytofluorograph to functional service. Basically I disassembled both systems and combined them into one useful instrument. Since then I have worked inside many other systems and generally have found aspects I thought could be improved. Based on extensive experience working with a wide range of electronics equipment (beginning in 1963) my focus initially was primarily on the instrumentation and technology. However, what really excited me about flow cytometry was that the diverse technologies present in such systems could be used to address biological questions. As a result, I have always been highly motivated to ensure that the systems serve useful biomedical research applications, and not just demonstrate concepts.

After leaving Penn State I learned a great deal about many applications of the technology, working 2 years with Irwin Scher at the National Naval Medical Research Institute, followed by 6 years with Alan Rosenthal at the Merck Research Center with a primary focus on immunology. In 1985 I jumped at the offer to move to Los Alamos and work in the non-commercial group that has helped shape the instrumentation in many ways since the late 1960's. It has been extremely rewarding to be involved in many projects with the long list of great people at Los Alamos, as a member of the National Flow Cytometry Resource team.

While still at Penn State, in 1976, I attended the Fifth Engineering Foundation Conference on Analytical Cytology; that was the first organization that preceded ISAC in endorsing and encouraging the rapidly growing field of flow cytometry. Since then, I have participated in many other conferences beginning with the early EF series at the Asilomar Conference Center, continuing with SAC conferences that morphed into ISAC, and including most of the Cytometry Development Workshop sessions again held at Asilomar. I was also very fortunate to attend the First Joint Meeting of the Japan Cytometry Society and ISAC in 1997, in Iwate, Japan.

My primary strength lies in my overall grasp of the entire spectrum of parts in a complex cytometer including the fluidic/pneumatic systems, optics, lasers and detectors, data acquisition hardware, and the data processing software. In terms of software, I began with assembly language and Fortran on early DEC PDP-11 series computers, I've also dabbled some with C, but I have moved on to really enjoy programming with the high-level language IDL (Interactive Data Language). Based on what I've personally been involved with at Los Alamos over the last year - from which we expect to see numerous exciting publications in 2006 - I believe that Flow Cytometry, in particular and analytical cytology in general, is on the verge of a number of technological revolutions. I would like very much to participate more fully with ISAC to help that move forward.

Campaign Statement

Over the past 20 years incredible progress has occurred in all aspects of scientific endeavor, fueled broadly by technological development and evolution. One compelling example is that the cost of computer disc storage space has dropped from $30000/Gb in 1986 to the present level of $0.40/Gb! Although developments in the next few years are unlikely to be as dramatic as that, I believe there will be many technological improvements which will increase the performance and capabilities of our instruments while lowering their cost. Furthermore, I'm convinced that in many ways flow cytometry is uniquely capable of addressing important biological questions and will remain so for a long time. My goal is to remain personally involved with this evolutionary/revolutionary process and I see no better way than to be involved with ISAC as a Technical Councilor.