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TECHNOLOGY Ashland's FlowJo sets the standard in cell analysis Software analyzes cells in critical health care fields Comment By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Sep. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Sep. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Tucked away quietly in the industrial office buildings off Hersey Street is FlowJo, an advanced “data analysis” firm with 25 employees, who describes its software as “the Swiss Army Knife of flow cytometry programs.” But what is flow cytometry and why is it so important that it’s used by 100 percent of pharmaceutical and biotech firms with over $10 billion in revenues, according to CEO Mike Stadnisky. Cytometry means cell measurement. By using a laser on a flow of cells in fluid, such as a biopsy or blood sample, the software can instantly tell technicians or researchers what cells are doing, what T-cells it has, how far along a disease or cancer is and what proteins are attached to cells, Stadnisky says. As the software becomes more advanced it’s reached an “inflection point” where it now handles over 10,000 samples a day and, he says, can ask 45 to 50 questions per cell. He compares it to the Hubble telescope, but able, as it evolves, to look farther into the inner space of the cell and ask more questions per cell “to find the correlates of disease.” Pointing to the prevalence of the software in its field, Stadnisky, who holds a doctorate in microbiology and immunology, notes that all of the top 40 National Institutes of Health funded research hospitals use it, as do 100 percent of the top federally funded universities. It’s an intense and pioneering sort of work at FlowJo and requires equally intense ways of relaxing and recreating, so, in the heart of the complex is a big room with a basketball half-court and a ping pong table. Stadnisky and team gravitate toward jeans and running shoe attire and — unlike Silicon Valley, where the firm started in 1997 — Ashland has an awesome trail system nearby, says the smiling Stadnisky, who is an ultra-marathon (100-mile) runner. The firm was incubated at Stanford University’s Herzenberg Lab, he says, and was brought to Ashland in 2003 by owners Adam Treister and Mario Roeder, the latter who is now the sole owner. “It’s important we’re in Ashland,” he says. “It allows us to be fully present on our work and focus purely on the software, instead of dealing with a two-hour commute.” Stadnisky popped his head into a meeting of his engineers, who were debugging the newest version of the software just before release. For engineers, FlowJo relies heavily on graduates from Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, with a couple from Southern Oregon University — but also draws workers from all over the world. The firm’s website details the process of getting a license and undergoing training to use it. It’s a rapidly evolving field with an ultimate goal of finding cures for cancer. Stadnisky says the engineers at FlowJo are focused on fighting disease, specifically, how to use the technology to “help the immune system cure cancer.” As for ultra-running, he says, “It allows me to disconnect. I love to be in the mountains but I don’t like camping. After talking with the world’s top scientists all day, you can be in the mountains in 2½ minutes." John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling for the Tidings Posted Sep. 28, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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