flowcytometry

Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used to detect and measure physical and chemical characteristics of a cell or particle. It works by suspending cells in a stream of fluid and passing them one by one through a laser beam. As each cell passes through the laser, it scatters light, and if the cell is fluorescently labeled, it emits light at specific wavelengths. These scattered and emitted light signals are detected by sensors. The intensity and patterns of light scattering and fluorescence provide information about the cell's size, granularity, and the presence of specific molecules on its surface or within its interior.

By analyzing these signals from thousands or millions of individual cells, researchers can identify different cell populations within a sample, quantify their numbers, and study their characteristics. This makes flow cytometry invaluable in various fields, including immunology for analyzing immune cell populations, cell biology for studying cell cycle and apoptosis, and cancer research for diagnosing and monitoring diseases. Advanced flow cytometers can simultaneously measure multiple parameters from each cell, enabling complex analyses and the identification of rare cell types. The data generated is typically presented in graphical formats, such as histograms and scatter plots, allowing for detailed interpretation.