Flow Cytometry Certification

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.”

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…

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.

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…