First proof-of-concept Raman spectral flow cytometer heralds "revolution" in cell biology

FEBRUARY 27, 2009--Raman spectral flow cytometry promises to revolutionize cell characterization by enabling observation of hundreds of variables simultaneously--and by helping researchers more easily distinguish among different types of cells. Now scientists from Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos, NM) have successfully tested the first proof-of-concept of a Raman spectral flow cytometer (SFC), using the Newton electron multiplying CCD (EMCCD) camera from Andor Technology plc (Belfast, Northern Ireland). Previous spectral flow cytometry designs had used single point detectors such as photomultipliers, restricting instantaneous spectral information.