We're celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, and launching not one, but 2 new products! Over the years since its inception, the FlowCam (and VisualSpreadsheet software) have evolved and expanded to encompass more functionality, a wider particle size range, a more intuitive user interface, and an ever growing user base.
We've incorporated your feedback to make the newest version of VisualSpreadsheet 5 more powerful and easier to use. Users can now easily analyze large data sets as well as compare data captured from multiple runs and multiple objectives. It's the biggest software update in our company's history.
We're also in the process of launching a new FlowCam. The newest member of the FlowCam suite is a streamlined instrument designed for ease of use, process specific monitoring applications, with a smaller foot print and lower price tag... stay tuned.
Best Regards,
Cybele Brooks
Marketing Manager
Collage of the Quarter
Last week, Harry Nelson attended the IAGLR (International Association of Great Lakes Research) annual conference in Brockport, NY. One of the attendees brought this sample from Lake Ontario to run in the booth.
This collage contains diatoms (Asterionella, Fragilaria, Melosira, Dinobryon, and Tabellaria), rotifers, mollusc veligers, Pediastrum and Synura. The ones that look like curlicues are Spirogyra. They were all captured on a FlowCam 8400 run in Fluorescence Trigger mode at 10X with a 100µm Flow Cell.
Effects of Microplastics on Maine Lobster
A Maine Sea Grant has just been awarded to Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences to study the effects on the lobster, one of Maine's most economically and commercially important resources. The ubiquity of marine microplastics is becoming well known. However, the impact of microplastics on ocean life remains poorly understood.
Norwegian Research Group Studies Krill in Antarctica using FlowCam
In the Austral Summer of 2018-2019 a Norwegian research group aboard the RV Kronprins Haakon, an ice-breaking polar research vessel, traveled to the Antarctic on a research mission with two objectives: 1) to update the estimate of biomass and distribution of krill off the coast of West Antarctica and 2) to become educated on the marine environment in this area for the purpose of implementing a Feed-Back Management (FBM) system, allowing fishery managers to set catch limits based on current ecosystem health.
The research team aboard the RV Kronprins Haakon used both the FlowCam VS 1 and the FlowCam Macro in order to test each instrument in this application.
FlowCam Used to Track Larval Oysters with Goals of Population Restoration
In 2018, a research study was performed by using oyster larvae from the Mobile Bay - Mississippi Sound system off the coast of Alabama. There have been concerted efforts to reestablish a flourishing population of oysters and oyster reefs in this area, in order to protect the shoreline and to save the population from rapid decline. An important piece of this puzzle is the ability to track larval transport (the movement of oyster larvae from birth to adult settlements), and this study's aim was to establish a method of tracking these larvae. Click below to learn how Dauphin Island Sea Lab used the FlowCam in this study.
Steve is a former employee of Fluid Imaging Technologies (FIT), and is excited to be back in a new sales role covering the Western US and Canada. Steve has an M.S. from Stanford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Utah, as well as extensive experience in software and instrumentation sales. He also speaks fluent Japanese. Welcome back, Steve!
Sarah Isakson, Marketing Coordinator
Sarah is a marketing professional who comes to us from Eldredge Lumber in Portland. She has a B.A. from Vassar College as well as a history working in Film and Television and is looking forward to bringing those skills to this position. Sarah loves design in all its forms, and spends her free time cooking, singing, and enjoying the Maine outdoors with her family.
Dominic Benfatta, Customer Care Associate
Dominic finished his degree in Portland at the University of Southern Maine where he was awarded a B.S. in Biology with a Concentration in Human Biology and a Minor in Biochemistry, graduating this past December. While in school Dominic worked as a lab technician and wellness specialist at a local compounding pharmacy, in an on-campus optogenetics lab, and as a fellow for an international non-profit geared towards spreading meditation and stress management skills to college students. He enjoys hiking, slacklining, drawing, reading, and cooking in his free time.
Meet the FlowCam's World-Class Technical Support Team
When you buy a FlowCam, you gain access to a team of technical experts dedicated to supporting and improving your FlowCam and VisualSpreadsheet experiences. Residing in our headquarters here in Maine, USA, our support team works directly with our engineering department to stay up-to-date on the most pertinent FlowCam and VisualSpreadsheet updates and improvements. In turn, they provide you with the most accurate, beneficial, and efficient customer service.
We are excited to announce the release of VisualSpreadsheet 5 (ViSP 5), available on July 1st to customers in the U.S. and Canada for the following platforms:
FlowCam 8000 (without ALH or 21 CFR)
FlowCam Cyano
FlowCam Macro
VisualSpreadsheet Satellite Licenses
With ViSP 5, you can:
Increase efficiency of data storage to improve data retrieval, processing time, and file stability
View and create data sets from multiple runs, allowing you to quickly load, manipulate, and analyze large data sets
Compare data captured from multiple objective and/or flow cells
While ViSP 5 is not compatible with legacy VS instruments, VS users are eligible to upgrade their satellite licenses to enjoy the benefits of easier data analysis as ViSP 5 can import data from as far back as ViSP version 3.2!
ViSP 5 will be available for international customers, ALH customers and 21 CFR customers in the following months, please stay tuned for availability.
U.S. and Canadian customers can reach out to Katie Clegg (katie.clegg@fluidimaging.com) for more information about eligibility and quoting the cost of upgrading their current FlowCam and satellite licenses.
Will you be attending one of the following conferences? Bring a sample to our booth in the exposition area for a hands-on, live demonstration of the FlowCam and VisualSpreadsheet. Or, simply visit us to say "hi" and ask us any questions. We'll be happy to see you!
NMEA 2019 (National Marine Educators Association)
July 21-25, Durham, New Hampshire
54th European Marine Biology Association
August 25-29, Dublin, Ireland
10th US Symposium on Harmful Algae
November 3-8, Orange Beach, Alabama
AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference
November 3-7, Dallas, Texas
39th International Symposium of the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS 2019)
November 11-15, Burlington, Vermont
Fluid Imaging Technologies, 200 Enterprise Drive, Scarborough, Maine 04074, USA, +1 207-289-3200
