These are a few of the most notable applications of flow cytometry:
Immunophenotyping: A technique used to identify and quantify cell populations in blood, lymph, bone marrow, and other heterogeneous samples
Cell sorting:Involves the use of a specialized fly cytometer that analyzes and characterizes individual cells as they pass through the laser
Cell proliferation assays:Calculates cellular metabolic activity and proliferation in response to various stimuli by measuring the decrease in fluorescence
Cell cycle analysis:Involves the use of fluorescent dyes to analyze replication states and measure the 4 distinct cell cycle phases
Intracellular calcium flux: Measures the extent to which cells react to external stimuli by monitoring the flux of calcium into the cell
Apoptosis: Helps differentiate between 2 types of cell death – apoptosis and necrosis – based on variations in biochemical, morphological, and molecular changes that take place in the dying cells