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Flow cytometry is a technique which allows high-speed multiparametric analysis of cells or suspended particulate matter. As the cells pass one by one in front of an illumination source, they produce two kinds of signals the flow cytometer measures: scattering signals from the cells themselves, which inform of their size and complexity, and fluorescence signals from the cells themselves or after labelling the cells with fluorescent probes or molecules, which inform of their biological characteristics and properties.

The advantages of this technique over other techniques are as follows:

a.    Chance to analyse physical and chemical characteristics of individual cells or cellular components.
b.    Chance of measuring several parameters simultaneously in the same cell: multi-parametric analysis.
c.    High-speed analysis: chance to study many samples in a short time.
d.    Chance to measure specific characteristics in heterogeneous populations and to detect under-represented subpopulations.
e.    Cell separation: Cell separators have the same performance and capabilities as flow cytometers, but also the ability to separate and selectively collect subpopulations of interest.

Services

  • Analysis of cell population samples with or without technician assistance.
  • Advice to users on the use of cytometry equipment and software.
  • Creation of protocols for analysis and adjustment of specific acquisition conditions in the different equipment: voltages and compensation between photomultipliers.
  • Cell separation.