Why Use a Fluorescent Marker in Flow Cytometry?

Author: Mike Blundell | Reviewer: Chloe Fenton

Fluorescent Marker Purpose

The purpose of a fluorescent marker, such as a fluorophore-conjugated antibody, is to directly target an epitope of interest and to allow its biological and biochemical properties to be measured.

Applications of Fluorescent Markers in Flow Cytometry

Fluorescent markers are useful in a wide range of applications, including identifying and quantifying distinct populations of cells, cell surface receptors, or intracellular targets; cell sorting; immunophenotyping; calcium flux experiments; determining nucleic acid content; measuring enzyme activity; and apoptosis studies.

Multicolor Analysis Using Fluorescent Markers

Several fluorophores can be excited by a single laser. By using filters it is possible to analyze several parameters of the sample at any one time. This forms the basis of multicolor fluorescence studies.