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AAT Bioquest

Are there any reasons for using flow cytometry to measure calcium flux?

Posted February 2, 2024


Answer

There are several reasons for using flow cytometry to measure calcium flux. Flow cytometry is advantageous for studying diverse cell populations due to its rapid analysis of numerous individual cells. This high-throughput capability is crucial for obtaining statistically significant data. Thus, it allows researchers to analyze calcium flux at the individual cell level within a population. Additionally, flow cytometry is crucial for its ability to provide a high-resolution examination of calcium flux dynamics at the individual cell level within a mixed population. This capability allows researchers to pinpoint subpopulations which exhibit unique calcium signaling patterns and analyze the variability among cells in a sample. Moreover, flow cytometry enables multiparametric analysis by combining calcium flux assessment with other markers or functional assays. In the context of calcium flux monitoring, flow cytometry utilizes specific tools such as fluorescent dyes like fluo-3 and indo-1. These dyes are widely utilized in flow cytometry and enable researchers to measure intracellular calcium levels accurately. Notably, early studies in intracellular calcium measurement cellular degranulation were carried out using flow cytometry.

Additional resources

Flow Cytometry: The Next Revolution

Calcium Indicators

Cal-520®, AM