title: Advances in flow cytometry for drug screening.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Flow cytometry is considered today as a mature technology. Recently, it has become an accurate tool for screening applications. Yet, not many studies have been published emphasizing flow cytometry as a tool of choice for drug screening except multiplex bead assay.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scanning the literature for technology breakouts in screening by flow is not an easy task. When a private industry has an accurate and fast screening technology on hands, why should they make public a tool precious for their screening applications? On the European academic side, there are regrettably few grants to help develop and publish screening methodologies. So, a less scientific way to find out is a close market survey seeking new instruments and associated kits or new methods. From here, can one expect flow cytometry to be a tool with new potential for drug discovery?
  
  
  RESULTS
  As the machines are getting simpler to use, a need for plug-and-analyze software has emerged. New analysis tools remain an important step as they will permit to analyze and compare several parameters in a multi-well format simultaneously and this for several cell types for cytomics: a multiparametric, dynamic approach to cell research as cytomics has a practical role to play in drug discovery within the immediate limitations of cell-based analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Developing new software with multi-well comparison capabilities and most importantly real-time interaction on cytograms can easily circumvent the lack of fluorescent channels on small bench top machines.
authors: Laboratoire d'Innovation Thérapeutique, Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Strasbourg, UMR CNRS 7200, 74, Route du Rhin, B.P. 24, 67401 Illkirch, Cedex, France  +33 3 68 85 42 71 ;  +33 3 68 85 43 10 ;  cdmuller@unistra.fr.
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Peluso
authors: Christian D
authors: CD
authors: Muller