Breakfast Workshops

New Eyes on Flow Cytometric Events: Merging Fluorescence and Imaging Features to expand the Frontiers of Sorting Capabilities

As a core facility, our role is not only to provide access to advanced tools, but also to support and anticipate the changing needs of the research community. Flow cytometry, whether conventional or spectral, has been a mainstay of our services for many years. Recently, however, the technology has taken a step forward with the integration of imaging. The BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter with BD CellView™ Image Technology makes it possible to visualize, analyse, and sort cells in real time, using both fluorescence and morphological features.

This combination adds new ways of looking at complex samples. Researchers can now examine subtle phenotypic differences, study cell morphology in greater detail, and even perform label-free analysis and sorting. Importantly, the system also allows us to detect and sort extracellular vesicles, something that has been difficult with standard approaches.

For our users, these new capabilities mean more precise results, broader sorting options, and fresh opportunities across basic, translational, and clinical research. By bringing in these technologies, core facilities are not only offering access to better tools, but also helping drive innovation and enabling researchers to tackle more challenging biological questions.

Head, Core Facility Fluorescence Cytometry, Research Center Borstel – Leibniz Lung Center, Borstel, Germany
Dr. Jochen Behrends leads the Core Facility for Fluorescence Cytometry at the Research Center Borstel, one of Germany’s leading institutes for lung research. He oversees a suite of around 14 advanced cytometry instruments, including high-parameter flow cytometric analyzers, state-of-the-art cell sorting systems, and confocal imaging platforms, all operated under BSL-1, BSL-2, and BSL-3 conditions. His team provides user training, method development, and collaborative support for research in infection immunology, allergy, and lung disease.

In close collaboration with Borstel’s allergy group, Dr. Behrends has helped pioneer innovative diagnostic applications, including a refined basophil activation test. He has also advanced the use of cytometry for microbiology, enabling cutting-edge bacterial sorting strategies that open new windows into microbial diversity. These efforts are reflected in a strong publication record across immunology, host-pathogen interactions, and cytometry methods, including “Low-input RNA-seq suggests metabolic specialization underlying morphological heterogeneity in a gut commensal bacterium” (2025). His expertise was also instrumental in renewing four major flow cytometric instruments in 2022/2023, including the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter with BD CellView™ Image Technology, thereby expanding advanced tools for users.

Dr. Behrends is a member of ISAC, serves on the scientific advisory board of the DGfZ, acts as a reviewer for the DFG, and regularly prepares tutorials and workshops nationally and internationally, contributing actively to the global flow cytometry community.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jochen-behrends-05020263/
https://fz-borstel.de/en/research-at-the-fzb/science-and-technology/fluorescence-cytometry

More Colors, More Clarity: Up to 31-Color Panel on 38-Channel Spectral Cytometry Without Compromise
Automated Unmixing, Flexible Autofluorescence Subtraction, and High-Sensitivity Small Particle Analysis

Overview: This presentation covers spectral flow cytometry basics, CytoStellar’s core features, IsFlower software advantages, and a 31-color panel application.

Key Content:
1.  Spectral vs. Conventional Flow Cytometry
○  Spectral flow cytometry combines flow cytometry and spectral unmixing, capturing full fluorescence spectra (vs. Conventional’s single-detector-per-fluorochrome with bandpass filters). It uses unmixing algorithms to separate overlapping signals (no need for complex compensation), offering greater multicolor analysis capacity and panel design flexibility.

2.  CytoStellar™ Instrument Highlights
○  Configuration: Up to 3 lasers/38 fluorescence channels, 80nm-detectable violet side scatter (VSSC).
○  Smart Loader: Compatible with tubes/plates, 4-37℃ temp control, adjustable mixing, sample recovery.
○  Fluidics: 10μL-5mL acquisition volume, minimal dead volume, on-system sheath refill for uninterrupted high-throughput runs.
○  Optics: Y-shaped light-splitting design boosts light efficiency/sensitivity; dual temp control and real-time laser power adjustment ensure stability.

3.  IsFlower Software Advantages
○  User-friendly workflow (startup to shutdown); 4-step experiment setup, 3-step spectral unmixing (auto-gating, spectrum library).
○  Unique tube-level template application (multiple protocols in one experiment); 21 CFR Part11 compliance, full-process logging, cross-lab standardization.

4.  Maintenance & Application
○  Smart maintenance: Schedulable auto startup/shutdown, real-time troubleshooting, customizable plans.
○  31-color immunophenotyping panel: Analyzes diverse immune cells (B/NK/T cells, Tregs, DCs) in one assay, assessing differentiation/maturation/activation; complexity index 25.3, with clear software visualization.

Presenter: Flank Li, Product Manager