Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting

Flow Cytometry is a powerful analytical technique that measures physical and chemical characteristics of cells or particles as they flow in a fluid stream through a laser beam. This topic covers the principles of light scattering (forward scatter for size, side scatter for granularity), fluorescence detection, fluorochrome conjugation, and compensation to correct spectral overlap. Zambian tertiary students learn applications in immunophenotyping, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis detection, and intracellular cytokine staining. Cell sorting (FACS) extends the technology to physically isolate cell populations based on defined parameters. Mastery of flow cytometry is crucial for Zambian university students in immunology, hematology, and cancer research, enabling detailed immune profiling, diagnosis of hematological malignancies, and monitoring of treatment responses in clinical and research settings.