Editing Flow cytometry (section)

{{Short description|Lab technique in biology and chemistry}}
{{Infobox chemical analysis
| name           = Flow cytometry
| image          = FACS-buisje.JPG
| caption        = A flow cytometer with sample injection tube.
| acronym        =
| classification = [[Cytometry]]
| analytes       = Cells or particles
| manufacturers  =
| related        = [[Coulter counter]]
| hyphenated     =
}}

'''Flow cytometry''' ('''FC''') is a technique used to detect and measure the physical and chemical characteristics of a population of [[Cell (biology)|cells]] or particles.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Picot J, Guerin CL, Le Van Kim C, Boulanger CM | title = Flow cytometry: retrospective, fundamentals and recent instrumentation | journal = Cytotechnology | volume = 64 | issue = 2 | pages = 109–30 | date = March 2012 | pmid = 22271369 | pmc = 3279584 | doi = 10.1007/s10616-011-9415-0 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/flow+cytometry|title=flow cytometry|work=TheFreeDictionary.com|access-date=2018-09-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | vauthors = Shapiro HM |title=Practical flow cytometry |date=2003 |publisher=Wiley-Liss |location=New York |isbn=978-0-471-41125-3 |edition=4th |url=https://www.beckman.com/resources/reading-material/ebooks/practical-flow-cytometry/}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Givan AL |date=2011|pages=1–29|publisher=Humana Press|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-1-61737-950-5_1|pmid=21116976|isbn=978-1-61737-949-9 | veditors = Hawley T, Hawley R |title=Flow Cytometry Protocols|volume=699|series=Methods in Molecular Biology|chapter=Flow Cytometry: An Introduction}}</ref>

In this process, a sample containing cells or particles is suspended in a fluid and injected into the flow [[Cytometry|cytometer]] instrument. The sample is focused to ideally flow one cell at a time through a laser beam, where the light scattered is characteristic to the cells and their components. Cells are often labeled with fluorescent markers so light is absorbed and then emitted in a band of wavelengths. Tens of thousands of cells can be quickly examined and the data gathered are processed by a computer.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = O'Neill K, Aghaeepour N, Spidlen J, Brinkman R | title = Flow cytometry bioinformatics. | journal = PLOS Comput Biol | volume = 9 | issue = 12 | pages = e1003365 | date = December 2013 | pmid = 24363631 | pmc = 3867282 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1003365 | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2013PLSCB...9E3365O }}</ref>

Flow cytometry is routinely used in basic research, clinical practice, and [[clinical trial]]s. Uses for flow cytometry include:
* [[Cell counting]]
* [[Cell sorting]]
* Determining cell characteristics and function
* Detecting [[microorganism]]s
* [[Biomarker]] detection
* [[Protein engineering]] detection
* Diagnosis of health disorders such as [[Hematological malignancy|blood cancers]]
* Measuring [[genome size]]

A flow cytometry analyzer is an instrument that provides quantifiable data from a sample. Other instruments using flow cytometry include cell sorters which physically separate and thereby purify cells of interest based on their optical properties.