Flow cytometry: instrumentation and application in phytoplankton research

✍ Scribed by Hans W. Balfoort; Thomas Berman; Serge Y. Maestrini; Andrea Wenzel; Tamar Zohary

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 640 KB
• Volume: 238
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5141
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00048777

✦ Synopsis

In flow cytometry, light scattering and fluorescence of individual particles in suspension is measured at high speed. When applied to planktonic particles, the light scattering and (auto-)fluorescence properties of algal cells can be used for cell identification and counting. Analysis of the wide size spectrum of phytoplankton species, generally present in eutrophic inland and coastal waters, requires flow cytometers specially designed for this purpose. This paper compares the performance in phytoplankton research of a commercial flow cytometer to a purpose built instrument. It reports on the identification of phytoplankton and indicates an area where flow cytometry may supersede more conventional techniques: the analysis of morphological and physiological characteristics of subpopulations in phytoplankton samples.

* Besides the parameters used in this study, the ACR 1000 can measure simultaneously two fluorescence (optional filters) and one scatter (> 15 °) parameter.