'White-light' flow cytometry

“白光”流式细胞术

• 批准号: EP/G003696/1
• 负责人: Catherine Thornton
• 金额: $ 9.6万
• 依托单位: Swansea University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2008 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FG003696%2F1
• 关键词: White; light; flow; cytometry

Flow cytometry is a commonly used technique for analysing cells in which fluorescent molecules are used to optically tag cells that flow in a fluid stream through a laser beam. Detection and analysis of the fluorescence, generated as the cells traverse the beam, provides information on cell type and function. The technique allows extremely rapid analysis of large numbers of cells, as many as 1 million in a matter of minutes, and so can be used to detect extremely rare cells. For example fluorescent molecules can be introduced to cells within a blood sample and engineered, using anti-bodies, to selectively attach to any cancerous cells present. Flow analysis then identifies and counts these cells providing a measure of the number of diseased cells within the sample.This project will adapt a commercial flow cytometer, replacing the existing single colour laser with a multi-colour, 'white-light' laser. This provides laser light at wavelengths covering the whole of the visible spectrum and so can be used with any fluorescent molecule. Currently this choice is limited as each molecular species requires a specific wavelength of light to generate fluorescence. This unlimited availability of colour will allow multi-label experiments in which a large number of different fluorescent probes can be simultaneously introduced to the cell thus providing information on multiple interactions and processes within the cell. The modified cytometer will be used with lymphocytes (immune system cells) to gain a better understanding of childhood immunity in new born infants and its development during pregnancy.

流式细胞术是用于分析细胞的常用技术，其中荧光分子用于光学标记通过激光束在流体流中流动的细胞。当细胞穿过光束时产生的荧光的检测和分析提供了关于细胞类型和功能的信息。该技术可以非常快速地分析大量细胞，在几分钟内就可以分析多达100万个细胞，因此可以用于检测极其罕见的细胞。例如，可以将荧光分子引入血液样本中的细胞，并使用抗体进行工程改造，以选择性地附着于存在的任何癌细胞。然后，流式细胞仪对这些细胞进行识别和计数，从而测量样本中的病变细胞数量。该项目将采用商用流式细胞仪，用多色“白光”激光取代现有的单色激光。这提供了波长覆盖整个可见光谱的激光，因此可以与任何荧光分子一起使用。目前这种选择是有限的，因为每个分子种类需要特定波长的光来产生荧光。这种颜色的无限可用性将允许多标记实验，其中大量不同的荧光探针可以同时引入细胞，从而提供关于细胞内多种相互作用和过程的信息。改良的细胞计数器将与淋巴细胞（免疫系统细胞）一起使用，以更好地了解新生儿的儿童免疫力及其在妊娠期间的发育。