Flow Cytometry: A Multipurpose Technology for a Wide Spectrum of Global Biosecurity Applications

Abstract

Flow cytometry, and its offspring-flow sorting, are extremely useful technologies for biosecurity and public health studies related to infectious disease. Applications range from environmental surveillance of pathogens to diagnosis and the development of vaccines and therapeutics for prevention and control of infectious diseases. Flow cytometers have been developed for laboratory analysis and field deployment. The current state of the art could enjoy more widespread use if instruments and data analysis were made simpler and had more automated functions, and if technology was modified to reduce biosafety concerns related to analysis and sorting of infectious organisms. The full spectrum of possible applications of flow cytometry technology to global biosecurity challenges has not yet been realized.