We are getting a flow cytometer...........

Below (last paragraph) is part of the justification read for our flow cytometer. It is a nice gift from the research center and did not cost my program any cash (so far as I have been told). Anyway it is a pretty good deal since I was going to buy it anyway. It cost more than all the other equipment I bought over that last 20 years. Going out with a bang I guess.

The PA-1 Flow Cytometer precisely quantifies DNA in plant cells. This knowledge is essential in ornamental plant breeding when we try to alter plant DNA levels to restore fertility in sterile hybrids or eliminate fertility in plants with invasive potential. Altering DNA levels can also generate valuable new ornamental traits.