A cell sorter is a machine that can sort cells according to their size, shape, and other properties. The first cell sorters were developed in the 1960s, and they have been used extensively in research and clinical laboratories since then.
Cell sorting is a powerful tool for studying cells and their properties. It can be used to purify cell populations for further study, or to isolate specific cell types for use in therapy. Cell sorting can also be used to monitorcellular changes during disease progression or after treatment.
There are two main types of cell sorters: fluorescence-activated cell sorted (FACS) machines and magnetic-activated cell sorted (MACS) machines. FACS machines use lasers tosort cells based on their fluorescent protein expression. MACS machines use magnets tosort cells based on their surface protein expression. Both types of machines are capable of sorting cells very rapidly, typically at a rate of several thousand per second.
Cell sorting is a critical technology for many areas of biomedical research, including cancer research, immunology, developmental biology, and stem cell research. It has also been used clinicallyto purify blood cells for transfusion and to prepare hematopoietic stem cellsfor transplantation.