Multipass flow cytometry using laser cell barcoding

Flow cytometry is a standard tool for characterizing cells at high throughput. However, conventional flow cytometry’s one-time measurement presents several issues. First, the number of biomarkers that can be measured at once is limited. Second, cell fixation and permeabilization can alter sensitive biomarkers, leading to errors. Third, the time-lapse changes of cells, such as those before and after drug or cytokine treatments, cannot be measured with single-cell resolution. In collaboration with LASE Innovation, we developed a novel multi-pass flow cytometry, where individual cells are barcoded with unique laser particles. These optical barcodes are measured along with their fluorescence signals over multiple flow passes, each probing different markers or the same markers after time delays. The sequential data are then combined into single-cell profiles using their barcodes. This invited talk will present the principle, laser particles, instrumentation, and applications.