5 – Flow Cytometry

My Proven 5-Point Fast Track To A Career In Flow

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

There are 4 major ways to sort cells. The first way can use magnetic beads coupled to antibodies and pass the cells through a magnetic field. The labeled cells will stick, and the unlabeled cells will remain in the supernatant. The second way is to use some sort of mechanical force like a flapper or air stream that separates the target cells from the bulk population. The third way is the recently introduced microfluidics sorter, which uses microfluidics channels to isolate the target cells. The last method, which is the most common––based on Fuwyler’s work––is the electrostatic cell sorter. This…

Up Your Stain Game With These 7 Non-Fluorescent Histology Dyes

By: Heather Brown-Harding, PhD

There are 4 major ways to sort cells. The first way can use magnetic beads coupled to antibodies and pass the cells through a magnetic field. The labeled cells will stick, and the unlabeled cells will remain in the supernatant. The second way is to use some sort of mechanical force like a flapper or air stream that separates the target cells from the bulk population. The third way is the recently introduced microfluidics sorter, which uses microfluidics channels to isolate the target cells. The last method, which is the most common––based on Fuwyler’s work––is the electrostatic cell sorter. This…

3 Ways Flow Cytometry Can Be Used To Research Bacteria

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

There are 4 major ways to sort cells. The first way can use magnetic beads coupled to antibodies and pass the cells through a magnetic field. The labeled cells will stick, and the unlabeled cells will remain in the supernatant. The second way is to use some sort of mechanical force like a flapper or air stream that separates the target cells from the bulk population. The third way is the recently introduced microfluidics sorter, which uses microfluidics channels to isolate the target cells. The last method, which is the most common––based on Fuwyler’s work––is the electrostatic cell sorter. This…

Avoid Flow Cytometry Faux Pas: How To Set Voltage The Right Way

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

There are 4 major ways to sort cells. The first way can use magnetic beads coupled to antibodies and pass the cells through a magnetic field. The labeled cells will stick, and the unlabeled cells will remain in the supernatant. The second way is to use some sort of mechanical force like a flapper or air stream that separates the target cells from the bulk population. The third way is the recently introduced microfluidics sorter, which uses microfluidics channels to isolate the target cells. The last method, which is the most common––based on Fuwyler’s work––is the electrostatic cell sorter. This…

Discover The Myriad Applications Of Beads In Flow Cytometry

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

What is the single-most important feature of a flow cytometry experiment? Arguably, it’s the stained cells that gather data about biological processes of interest. However, a flow cytometer can measure cell-like particles as well as cells, which opens the realm of cytometry to the use of microspheres. Most researchers are familiar with the 4-Cs that beads can be used for: Control, Calibration, Compensation, and Counting. Beyond the 4-Cs, many are familiar with the multiplex bead assays for measuring analytes. Today, we will take a look beyond these well-known uses and discover the myriad applications of the “Mighty Microspheres.”

Mass Cytometry Revolves Around These 5 Things

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

Because mass cytometry allows users to characterize masses so effectively, data can be normalized much more efficiently than what traditional fluorescent flow will permit. If there is no working CyTof at your institution, you can still partner with CyTof-friendly research institutions that have the technology on hand. And because the samples are fixed, you can ship them overnight. This way, they will be analyzed for you. Today’s article will summarize the functionality of mass cytometry technology. This tech has been commercialized largely by Fluidigm in the CyTof systems. There are 5 key points to cover, or takeaways, that cytometrists should…

3 Ways To Improve Flow Cytometry Troubleshooting

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

A lot of the troubleshooting is focused on fluidics issues. If you sit down and think about your workflow, and how you might want to add a couple of little tweaks here and there which will ultimately help you improve the quality of your data as well as aid you in identifying issues before they become problems your troubleshooting will be much smoother. Consider these three things, what do you before you start collecting data, ensure you have appropriate plots of time vs fluorescence for each of the lasers your using and apply appropriate gating procedures.

3 Requirements For Accurate Flow Cytometry Compensation

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

For those new to flow cytometry, compensation is confusing at best and terrifying at worst. Likewise, those who have been doing flow cytometry since the analog ages may be holding on to practices that, while suited to the analog instruments, should be left to the annals of history. As such, a lot of time is spent discussing compensation and the best practices for this critical process. There are 3 rules that guide proper compensation, and they’ve been written about extensively since they first appeared in the “Daily Dongle” in 2011. Here, we will review the classic rules and expand upon…

5 Considerations For Statistical Analysis Of Flow Cytometry Data

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

Congratulations, your grant has been funded! Next comes generating data and publishing papers. What was that hypothesis again? It must be in the grant somewhere, right? To avoid even the appearance of HARKing — Hypothesizing After The Results Are Known — it is important to start the statistical analysis process even before the first experiments are performed. This process consists of 5 steps: setting the null hypothesis, establishing a threshold, performing the experiments, performing the statistical tests, and communicating the results. Walk with us as we discuss these steps in an example workflow.

How To Achieve Accurate Flow Cytometry Calcium Flux Measurements

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

Dyes exist for the detection of everything from large nucleic acids to reactive oxygen species, and from lipid aggregates to small ions. Concentrations of physiologically important ions such as sodium, potassium, and calcium can be important indicators of health and disease. Calcium ions play an especially critical role in cellular signaling. As a signaling messenger, calcium is involved in everything from muscle contractions, to cell motility, to enzyme activity. Calcium experiments can be very informative, and with the advent of cheaper UV lasers, more and more researchers can use ratiometric measurements to evaluate the signaling processes in phenotypically defined populations.

Use This Preparation Guide For Accurate Flow Cytometry Results

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

There is a lot of preparatory work that must be done before the first flow cytometry experiment can be attempted. Each step builds upon the previous one and extends where the assay is going. Be prepared for some trial and error in this process, and don’t expect perfect results the first time around. An educated user is a good user, and makes the SRL staff’s job that much easier. The partnership between investigator and SRL staff is a rewarding one, when both parties work together to achieve the ultimate goal of generating excellent data and sort results that help answer…

5 Best Practices For Accurate Flow Cytometry Results

By: Tim Bushnell, PhD

Here, we cover 5 lessons from the trenches of flow cytometry looking at important aspects of how best practices have changed over time, which practices need to be adopted, and which are outdated. Put those old, coffee-stained protocols away and take advantage of the best practices for digital instruments to write new and improved ones (coffee stains optional). Your data will thank you.