Flow Cytometry Application Guide

How flow cytometry works

Cells pass individually through a laser interrogation point. Forward and side scatter provide physical information while fluorophore-labelled antibodies or probes report selected markers and cellular states.

1. Prepare a clean single-cell suspension and assess viability.
2. Design the antibody panel, controls and compensation or spectral-unmixing strategy.
3. Stain surface or intracellular targets under appropriate conditions.
4. Acquire stable data, gate systematically and document the analysis workflow.

Experimental planning and controls

Panel design should consider antigen density, fluorophore brightness, spectral overlap and instrument configuration. Include appropriate unstained, single-colour and biological controls, and use viability or Fc-blocking approaches where relevant. Product-specific application and species evidence should be checked before use.