This allows simultaneous multiparametric analysis of the physical and/or chemical characteristics of up to thousands of particles per second.
Flow Cytometry is routinely used in the diagnosis of health disorders, especially blood cancers, but has many other applications in both research and clinical practice.
A common variation is to physically sort particles based on their properties, so as to purify populations of interest (FACS).
The technology has applications in a number of fields, including molecular biology, pathology, immunology, plant biology and marine biology.
An introduction to Flow Cytometry is available online. These presentations will give you a basic understanding of Flow Cytometry prior to your training on the instruments.