Applications of Flow Cytometry

Flow Cytometry is a technique of identifying and measuring the physical and chemical properties of cells which travel in a suspension. The benefit of this technique is that it allows the rapid and simultaneous measurement of several parameters on a cell by cell basis. It can detect and analyze thousands of cells per second.

There are wide range of Applications of flow cytometry, some of them are explained below.

1) Immunological Applications:

Immunophenotyping (It involves identification and characterization of cell surface proteins (CD markers) or intracellular proteins using fluorescent-conjugated antibodies. For example: identification of CD markers present in blood cells.)

Stem Cells Analysis ( involves studying of stem cells such embryonic stem cells (ESCs), human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), studying the pluripotency and multipotency. Characterization of multiple antigens present on the cell surface or intracellular using multi-color flow cytometry methods).

Cell Counting

Cytokine Analysis and Bead-Based immuno assays.

Platelets Identification.

2) Cell or Cancer Biology Applications:
Apoptosis Studies

Cell Cycle Analysis

DNA Damage

Cell Proliferation Studies.

Cancer Research

Cell Signalling Studying

Calcium Flux Studies

Gene Expression Analysis

Kinetics Studies

3) Microbiology Applications:
Microbial Viability

Microbe Counting

Absolute Counting of Microorganisms

Water Quality Analysis

Aquatic Research

Microbe Species Identification

Microbe Species Characterization

4) Flow Cytometry also has applications in Industry level such as in Bio-processing, Bio-fuels, Plant Biology, Foods and Beverages.

5) It has application in Veterinary Also., such as identification and separating sperm based on X- and Y- chromosomes.

Comments

Statistics in Flow Cytometry Data and "MFI" values

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Nanodrop

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Protocol: Sample preparation for Cell Cycle Analysis by Flow Cytometry

Protocol: Preparation of Samples for Cell Cycle Analysis by Flow Cytometry: 1) Suspend approximately million cells (10^6) in 1mL of phosphate-buffered saline solution (1x). And with the help of pipette, gently aspirate about 7-8 times, to make the single cell suspension. 2) Take a centrifuge tube and add 4mL of 70% ethanol. (70% ethanol should be one ice before using). and add 1mL of cells in PBS to this tube. Keep the tubes on ice for minimum 2 hours at 4℃.. This step will fix the cells. ( cells can kept at 4 ℃ for a week). 3) Centrifuge the ethanol fixed cells for 5 minutes at 300g. Carefully take out the supernatant. Do not disturb the pellet. 4) Add 5mL of cold 1x PBS to this pellet and suspend the cells using pipette. 5) Centrifuge the tubes at 300g for 5 minutes. and discard the supernatant. Again do not disturb the pellet. 6) if required, step 5 can be repeated for one more time. 7) Add 1mL of Propidium Iodide (PI...

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