The largest published flow cytometry panel has 50 parameters. The OMIP-102, published in Cytometry Part A, presents a 50-fluorochrome spectral flow cytometry panel developed for in-depth characterization of the human immune system, with particular emphasis on T cells and dendritic cells. Article:OMIP-102: 50-color phenotyping of the human immune system with in-depth assessment of T cells and dendritic cells. However, the aim of this work went far beyond simply exploring the l

Is your cytometry panel truly ready to generate reliable data? Designing a flow cytometry panel goes far beyond choosing markers and fluorochromes. For an experiment to work properly, it is necessary to consider: ✅ antigen expression ✅ marker co-expression ✅ fluorochrome brightness ✅ cytometer configuration ✅ spillover and spreading error ✅ sample autofluorescence ✅ experimental controls ✅ gating strategy ✅ compatibility between the panel, sample and biological question In co

Clusters of Differentiation (CDs) constitute an internationally standardized nomenclature system used to identify cell surface molecules, mainly on immune system cells. Each CD corresponds to a specific protein or protein complex with defined functions, enabling the distinction between different cell types as well as their states of differentiation and activation. In flow cytometry, CD markers are central elements for the phenotypic and functional characterization of cellular

Caution is needed when constructing a spectral flow cytometry panel, even when faced with the possibility of using fluorochrome combinations that would not be feasible in conventional flow cytometry. In addition to paying attention to the principles of matching fluorochrome brightness to antigen expression levels and selecting appropriate fluorochromes for co-expressing antigens, spectral flow cytometry also requires choosing the best combination of fluorochromes, considering

Spectral flow cytometry has made a significant advance by expanding the number of parameters that can be evaluated simultaneously in a single panel. This has made it possible to explore the heterogeneity of cell populations present in our samples much more deeply. Furthermore, this technology has increased the resolution of labeling, as it offers more powerful detectors and the possibility of extracting autofluorescence. However, even though it is an important milestone in th

The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Mary E. Brunkow, Fred Ramsdell, and Shimon Sakaguchi "for their discoveries concerning peripheral immune tolerance" ( NobelPrize.org ). They identified a group of immune system cells, called regulatory T cells (or Tregs), that play a crucial role in controlling the immune system so that it does not attack the body's own healthy tissues, which can lead to autoimmune diseases. Key findings include: 1. In 1995, Sakag

What is an OMIP? Optimized Multicolor Immunofluorescence Panel (OMIP) is a special type of scientific publication proposed by the journal Cytometry Part A, which presents rigorously optimized panels for flow cytometry and other fluorescence-based methods. An OMIP consists of two parts: i. A two-page printed component, which includes basic information such as the title, a summary table, a brief description, a reagent table, a staining figure as an example, and a detailed compa