Tim Bushnell

Tim Bushnell

Articles by Tim Bushnell

Introducing CyTOF:  Cytometry of the Masses

Introducing CyTOF: Cytometry of the Masses

Flow cytometry remains unparalleled as a single-cell analysis technology.  The ability to analyze 14 or more fluorescent parameters on a million cells or more allows for detailed understanding of complex biological processes. The Problem With Traditional Flow Cytometry One limitation of flow cytometry is the reliance on fluorescent tags.   Even with careful panel design, loss…

An Introduction to Spectral Overlap and Compensation Protocols in Flow Cytometry

It strikes fear into the hearts of new cytometrists. Compensation. More fights have started over the proper way to compensate at meetings than anything else. This article will strive to shed some light on the principles of compensation, and equip you with the tools necessary to achieve compensation mastery for your research experiments. Compensation is…

Beginners Guide to Designing Your Own Polychromatic Flow Panel

Beginners Guide to Designing Your Own Polychromatic Flow Panel

“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.” – Edmund Burke “With great power comes great responsibility.” – Uncle Ben (quoting Voltaire) While it’s unlikely that either of these speakers performed multi-dimensional flow cytometry, it is important to remember these quotes in the context of developing and implementing a good polychromatic flow panel.  More fluorochromes are…

A Numbers Game: the ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of Counting Cells

A Numbers Game: the ‘How’ and ‘Why’ of Counting Cells

“It is the weight, not numbers of experiments that is to be regarded.”  Isaac Newton Read any flow cytometry protocol and somewhere near the beginning will state something to the effect of ‘Place 1 million cells into a tube.’ The question is, faced with that special sample for THE experiment, how do you count cells…

Biosafety in Flow Cytometry – To Be or Not to Be…

Biosafety in Flow Cytometry – To Be or Not to Be…

Biosafety is one of those things many scientists don’t take seriously. I would guess, that like politics, there are 40% who believe biosafety is ‘over-emphasized’ and 40% who swear by biosafety. 20% are undecided. Needless to say, I’m on the side of biosafety. And here’s why: “CDC announced today that approximately 75 Atlanta-based staff are…

Chasing the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow: Choosing the Right Fluorochromes for Your Flow Cytometry

Chasing the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow: Choosing the Right Fluorochromes for Your Flow Cytometry

With the current proliferation of new dyes and instruments that can detect many colors simultaneously, it seems like an entire rainbow is at your disposal for your flow cytometry experiments. And we know that when designing a polychromatic flow cytometry panel, more is often better – right?  The more antigens you can detect, the more…