title: Cellometer image cytometry as a complementary tool to flow cytometry for verifying gated cell populations.
abstract: Traditionally, many cell-based assays that analyze cell populations and functionalities have been performed using flow cytometry. However, flow cytometers remain relatively expensive and require highly trained operators for routine maintenance and data analysis. Recently, an image cytometry system has been developed by Nexcelom Bioscience (Lawrence, MA, USA) for automated cell concentration and viability measurement using bright-field and fluorescent imaging methods. Image cytometry is analogous to flow cytometry in that gating operations can be performed on the cell population based on size and fluorescent intensity. In addition, the image cytometer is capable of capturing bright-field and fluorescent images, allowing for the measurement of cellular size and fluorescence intensity data. In this study, we labeled a population of cells with an enzymatic vitality stain (calcein-AM) and a cell viability dye (propidium iodide) and compared the data generated by flow and image cytometry. We report that measuring vitality and viability using the image cytometer is as effective as flow cytometric assays and allows for visual confirmation of the sample to exclude cellular debris. Image cytometry offers a direct method for performing fluorescent cell-based assays but also may be used as a complementary tool to flow cytometers for aiding the analysis of more complex samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Technology R&D, Nexcelom Bioscience, Lawrence, MA, 01843, USA.
authors.forename: Dmitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuksin
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
authors.forename: Christina Arieta
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kuksin
authors.affiliation: Department of Technology R&D, Nexcelom Bioscience, Lawrence, MA, 01843, USA.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Technology R&D, Nexcelom Bioscience, Lawrence, MA, 01843, USA. Electronic address: lchan@nexcelom.com.
authors.forename: Leo Li-Ying
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D002470:Cell Survival; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005452:Fluoresceins; D006801:Humans; D019044:Image Cytometry; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D010316:Particle Size; D011419:Propidium
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins; C085925:calcein AM; D011419:Propidium
keywords: Calcein AM; Cellometer Vision; Flow cytometry; Image cytometry; Propidium iodide