Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
13:28
Single-cell Analysis of Bacillus subtilis Biofilms Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Flow Cytometry
Published on: February 15, 2012
Determination of bacterial biomass from flow cytometric measurements of forward light scatter intensity
1University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA.
Current Protocols in Cytometry
|September 5, 2008
Abstract:
This unit presents methods for measuring biomass of bacteria by flow cytometry. Such measurements are an integral part of determining growth rates and kinetics. This unit discusses calibration and standardization methods for bacterial studies using flow cytometry and provides a detailed discussion of the components involved. The serious microbiologist will appreciate the advantages flow cytometry brings to many aspects of microbial study, and this unit is no exception.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Flow Cytometry
The development of flow cytometry techniques began in 1934 with initial attempts by Andrew Moldavan, a bacteriologist who counted the cells in a flowing capillary system. Moldavan pumped cells through a capillary tube focused under a microscope for visualization. The invention of photometry allowed the measurement of differentially-stained cells, and Louis Kamentsky developed the first multiparameter flow cytometer in 1965 to identify and count the cancer cells in cervical tissue specimens.
In...
In...
01:27Microbial Growth Measurement: Indirect Methods
Estimating microbial growth is essential for understanding population dynamics and environmental adaptations. Indirect methods provide valuable insights by measuring parameters such as turbidity, metabolic activity, and biomass, enabling efficient and reproducible assessments.During exponential growth, microbial cells scatter light proportionally to their biomass, a principle used in turbidity measurements. About one million cells per milliliter produce detectable scattering, which a...