What is spectral unmixing?

Spectral unmixing is a highly precise process used in spectral flow cytometry. It relies on the discrimination of fluorescence by identifying differences in the overall spectral signatures.

In spectral flow cytometry, an array of detectors captures the full emission spectrum of every fluorophore across a defined wavelength range. A unique spectral fingerprint can be constructed for each fluorophore using the excitation and emission spectra from each laser. Spectral unmixing refers to the process in which the observed spectrum is broken down into the most likely constituents