The Flow Cytometry Analysis in Plants

Flow cytometry is a widely used laser-based biophysical technology for cell counting, cell property measuring, and biomarker detecting. A standard flow cytometry system consists of fluidics, optics and electronics. During the assay, suspended cells pass through a laser beam one at a time, and the parameters of the cells are detected and measured via light scattering. When connecting to a sorting device, it also allows physical separation of cells and biological particles (Figure 1).

Figure 1. A schematic description of the flow cytometry system.

The flow cytometry technique was originally developed in the animal system. Over four decades ago, the flow cytometry assay was employed in plants for the first time. Over the years, flow cytometry has gained its popularity in the field of plant biology, as an efficient method for quantitative cell measurement with reduced cost. So far, the flow cytometry technique has been applied in differential cell/tissue types of a variety plant species (1). Lifeasible, as a leading plant biotechnology company, provides high-quality flow cytometry services that cover a wide range of research purposes, including:

• Plant ploidy levels determination: based on detection of nucleus DNA content, ploidy levels of specific plant species can be calculated with high reliability.
• Genome size determination: Propidium iodide (PI) staining with flow cytometry is a powerful method for genome sizing because it is relatively fast, works with a wide variety of materials, and provides information on a very large number of nuclei.
• True-to-type characterization of genotypes: for plants undergone ploidy manipulation, their genotypes can be characterized and profiled for true-to-type analysis and further, screening for desirable cytotypes.
• Mapping of plant genomes: usually performed with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) for dissecting the genome into its component chromosomes and chromosome arms.
• Measurement of chemical contents: within given plant cells and/or plant tissues, the contents of subcellular chemical fractions can be measured via dye-labeling, fluorescence tagging or fluorescence emission.

Here at Lifeasible, we provide one-stop services for plant flow cytometry analysis with high efficiency and guaranteed quality. Our experienced researchers and scientists offer sophisticated intellectual and technical insights from experimental design to data analysis. Welcome to contact us for our detailed service categories, technical consulting and collaborations.