143
of every individual in a stadium of 100,000 could be "fingerprinted"
in less than 2 minutes!
Conveniently, phytoplankton have their own innate fluorescing
material, the light-harvesting pigments of chlorophyll and accessory
pigments (Yentsch and Yentsch, 1979).
with flow cytometry, high
sensitivity is attained using laser excitation of both pigments
(termed autofluorescence) and applied stains (termed induced fluorescence) or fluorescent-conjugated antibodies (termed immunofluorescence).
Soon it will be feasible to use chlorophyll fluorescence to
distinguish phytoplankton, protein stains to detect bacteria and
small animals, and a have measurement of growth rate made directly
using DNA stains.
Also, light scatter can be a useful index for
inorganic sediment particles as well as living and non-living organic
particles (see Yentsch et al., 1983a).
WHAT IS FLOW CYTOMETRY/SORTING?
FLOW CYTOMETRY is a rapid analytical technique which measures
properties of cells/particles in a stream flow.
Combining optics,
electronics and laser excitation, quanti tati ve fluorescent signals
derived from natural pigments, stains and/or antibodies form a
"fingerprint" of multiple parameters from particles analyzed one-ata-time.
CELL/PARTICLE SORTING is a technique which combines flow cytometry,
computerized data acquisition and commands, and clever engineering.
The saline sheath surrounding a cell/particle in the form of a
droplet is electrostatically charged when preselected analysis
criteria are met. The droplet containing the desired particle passes
through deflection plates which diverts the droplet to either the
left or to the right for collection.
HOW MUCH DOES THE INSTRUMENTATION COST?
There are a variety of instruments which can be fabricated from
off-the-shelf equipment based on a mercury lamp epifluorescence
microscope and a photomultiplier tube resul ting in rapid measurement of one parameter (see Olson et al., 1983). Commerciallyavailable analysis units start at $50,000 USA which can measure mUltiple
parameters, again using a mercury lamp light source. Fully versatile
analysis units designed for multiple parameters with full sorting
capabilities, dual laser light sources and multiple data acquisition
and display systems, at the time of this writing run approximately
of every individual in a stadium of 100,000 could be "fingerprinted"
in less than 2 minutes!
Conveniently, phytoplankton have their own innate fluorescing
material, the light-harvesting pigments of chlorophyll and accessory
pigments (Yentsch and Yentsch, 1979).
with flow cytometry, high
sensitivity is attained using laser excitation of both pigments
(termed autofluorescence) and applied stains (termed induced fluorescence) or fluorescent-conjugated antibodies (termed immunofluorescence).
Soon it will be feasible to use chlorophyll fluorescence to
distinguish phytoplankton, protein stains to detect bacteria and
small animals, and a have measurement of growth rate made directly
using DNA stains.
Also, light scatter can be a useful index for
inorganic sediment particles as well as living and non-living organic
particles (see Yentsch et al., 1983a).
WHAT IS FLOW CYTOMETRY/SORTING?
FLOW CYTOMETRY is a rapid analytical technique which measures
properties of cells/particles in a stream flow.
Combining optics,
electronics and laser excitation, quanti tati ve fluorescent signals
derived from natural pigments, stains and/or antibodies form a
"fingerprint" of multiple parameters from particles analyzed one-ata-time.
CELL/PARTICLE SORTING is a technique which combines flow cytometry,
computerized data acquisition and commands, and clever engineering.
The saline sheath surrounding a cell/particle in the form of a
droplet is electrostatically charged when preselected analysis
criteria are met. The droplet containing the desired particle passes
through deflection plates which diverts the droplet to either the
left or to the right for collection.
HOW MUCH DOES THE INSTRUMENTATION COST?
There are a variety of instruments which can be fabricated from
off-the-shelf equipment based on a mercury lamp epifluorescence
microscope and a photomultiplier tube resul ting in rapid measurement of one parameter (see Olson et al., 1983). Commerciallyavailable analysis units start at $50,000 USA which can measure mUltiple
parameters, again using a mercury lamp light source. Fully versatile
analysis units designed for multiple parameters with full sorting
capabilities, dual laser light sources and multiple data acquisition
and display systems, at the time of this writing run approximately