Biological

Flow Cytometer

Single-cell analysis by light scatter and fluorescence

A flow cytometer measures thousands of individual cells per second as they pass a laser. It reports cell size, granularity and fluorescent markers, so populations can be counted and compared.

1 test optionThousands of cells per secondMulti-colour fluorescenceTypical turnaround 3–5 working days
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Flow Cytometer measurement principleIllustrative
LaserSampleCells in single fileForward scatterDichroic mirrorsFluorescence detectorsDot plot
One cell at a time, read in a beam of lightIllustrative
01 / Overview

What is Flow Cytometer?

Cells in suspension are focused by a sheath fluid into a single-file stream that crosses one or more laser beams. Forward-scattered light indicates cell size, side-scattered light indicates internal complexity, and fluorescent dyes or antibodies report specific markers.

Unlike microscopy or a plate reader, flow cytometry measures every cell individually, so small sub-populations can be separated from the bulk by gating and expressed as a percentage of the sample.

02 / How it works

How it works

  1. 01

    Cells are prepared

    A single-cell suspension is stained with fluorescent dyes or antibodies, or run unstained.

  2. 02

    Cells line up

    Sheath fluid narrows the stream so cells pass the measuring point one at a time.

  3. 03

    Laser reads each cell

    Scattered and fluorescent light from every cell is split by colour and recorded by detectors.

  4. 04

    Populations are gated

    Events are shown as dot plots and histograms, and gates give the percentage of each population.

03 / What it measures

What it measures

Cell count & viability

Count cells and separate live from dead cells with viability dyes.

Useful forCell culture quality, cytotoxicity studies

Surface markers

Measure antibody-labelled markers on each cell (immunophenotyping).

Useful forImmune cells, stem cells, blood samples

Apoptosis

Distinguish early and late apoptotic cells, e.g. with Annexin V / PI.

Useful forDrug screening, toxicity testing

Cell cycle & DNA content

Resolve G0/G1, S and G2/M phases from DNA-stain intensity.

Useful forProliferation and cell-cycle arrest studies

Cell size & granularity

Compare relative size and internal complexity from scatter signals.

Useful forMixed cell populations, microorganisms
04 / Test options

Choose the Flow Cytometer options you need

1 option · none added yet

Flow Cytometer test options
05 / Sample requirements

Sample requirements

Accepted forms
Single-cell suspensions in buffer (e.g. PBS), stained or unstained
Quantity
Around 1 × 10⁶ cells in 0.5–1 mL per tube
Controls
Unstained and single-stain controls for multi-colour panels
Transport
Chilled (2–8 °C), protected from light; fixed cells preferred
  • Filter or gently pipette to remove clumps
  • Share the dyes or antibodies and their fluorophores
  • Label each tube clearly with the sample and stain
  • No known infectious or unfixed high-risk samples
  • No tissue pieces or unfiltered cell aggregates

Hazardous or air-sensitive samples: mention it in your request, and attach the MSDS if you have one.

06 / Results & turnaround

Results & turnaround

What you receive

  • Dot plots and histograms for each sample
  • Gating strategy and population percentages
  • Mean or median fluorescence intensities
  • Raw FCS data files
  • Report PDF

Turnaround & pricing

Typically 3–5 working days after samples reach the lab.

Price confirmed in your quotation, depending on user type, options and number of samples.

Sample report · IllustrativeExample viable cells86.4%Illustrative — not measured sample data
07 / Limitations

When Flow Cytometer isn't the right fit

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