Reference Kit for Small Particle Analysis Using Flow Cytometry

September 16, 2019

BlueskyReddit
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine
Research Assistant

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Company:

Invitrogen (Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Product Name:

Flow Cytometry Sub-Micron Size Reference Kit, Green Fluorescent

Catalog Number:

F13839

Users of our flow cytometry laboratory occasionally want to analyze small particles (<1 micrometer). In order to confirm proper functioning and test sensitivity of our equipment for small particle analysis, we typically use a mixture of beads of various known sizes. The kit reviewed here contains six sizes of green-fluorescent beads ranging in diameter from 0.02 µm to 2.0 µm.

Experimental Design and Results Summary

Application

Flow Cytometry

Starting Material

N/A

Tips

Experimental protocols will depend on which model of flow cytometer that you use. Regardless of the instrument, be sure to thoroughly wash your flow cytometer according to the manufacturer's instructions to minimize noise and avoid and carry-over from previous samples/experiments. The product insert also contains an important note that is applicable to the majority of small particle bead-based reference kits: It should be also noted that forward scatter signals are related not only to size but also to other factors such as the refractive index of the particle. The microparticles in this kit have equivalent refractive indices of 1.591 at 590nm. Since the refractive index of cells and other biological microparticles may differ from that of the beads in this kit, the sizes estimated by using this kit nay not reflect the actual bioparticle size.

Results Summary

The reference beads are very bright. Bead sizes of 2, 1, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.1um were easily distinguishable. 0.02um could not be resolved with our instrument.

DOI or PMID #

N/A

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Summary

The Good

Easy to prepare bead mixture. Bright staining.

The Bad

According to the literature, other reference kits are used more frequently for small particle analysis (ie. Apogee).

The Bottom Line

This kit worked well right of out of the box. No troubleshooting required. This product should be considered if you require reference samples if you are using flow cytometry for sub-micron particle analysis.

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