fluorescence-activated cell sorter

Individual cells can be characterized and separated in a machine called a fluorescence-activated cell sorterFACS® that measures cell size, granularity, and fluorescence due to bound fluorescent antibodies as single cells pass in a stream past photodetectors. The analysis of single cells in this way is called flow cytometry and the instruments that carry out the measurements and/or sort cells are called flow cytometers or cell sorters.