Flow cytometry is the current gold standard for identifying cell types within a mixed population. It identifies cells by their unique combinations of markers, which are tagged with antibodies bound to fluorophores and read by the cytometer. The tool is used in fields ranging from developmental biology to immunology, and even in the diagnosis of diseases such as leukemia.
While traditional flow cytometry is fast—analyzing thousands of cells per second—the number of markers that can be measured in a single experiment is limited by overlap in the color spectra of the fluorophores, allowing between 6 and 10 different colors to be measured in a single experiment.
High-end flow cytometers can detect up to 15 different colors, and can even sort cells for later experiments (FACS analysis), though it is limited to markers on the cell’s surface. “Once you start asking questions about signaling networks, the number of parameters you desire ...
