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Related Concept Videos

Flow Cytometry01:23

Flow 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.
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Methods to Assess Microbial Populations

Assessing microbial populations is crucial for understanding microbial roles in health, ecology, and industry. Various complementary techniques—both culture-based and molecular—enable detailed analysis of microbial abundance, diversity, and function.Viable Plate CountThe viable plate count is a traditional culture-based method used to estimate the number of living microbes in a sample. After serial dilution, the sample is spread onto nutrient agar plates. Each viable cell forms a visible...
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Microbial 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...
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Microbial Growth Measurement: Direct Methods

Direct methods for measuring microbial populations in a culture are essential tools in microbiology, providing quantitative data for various applications. Among these, microscopic counts, plate counts, and serial dilution are widely used techniques, each with unique principles and applications.Microscopic CountsMicroscopic counting involves the use of a Petroff-Hausser chamber, a specialized microscope slide with a grid and defined depth. By observing a liquid culture under a microscope,...

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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

Characterizing Microbiome Dynamics &#8211; Flow Cytometry Based Workflows from Pure Cultures to Natural Communities
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Published on: July 12, 2018

Estimation of microbial viability using flow cytometry.

Hazel M Davey1, Douglas B Kell, Dieter H Weichart

  • 1University of Wales, Aberystwyth, United Kingdom.

Current Protocols in Cytometry
|September 5, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Measuring microbial viability is challenging. This study explores using flow cytometry and viability stains for rapid microbial assessments, offering new protocols for accurate results.

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Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Cell Biology
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Microbial viability is difficult to define and measure, often relying on slow culturability methods.
  • Traditional methods equate viability with culturability, which is time-consuming for microbial analysis.
  • Rapid and quantitative measurement of microbial viability is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate viability stains using flow cytometry for microbial viability assessment.
  • To develop protocols for routine microbial viability assays.
  • To provide a basis for users to perform these assays on flow cytometer instruments.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing flow cytometry for rapid, quantitative measurements of dye uptake in microbial cells.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of various viability stains.
  • Developing and including basic protocols for flow cytometry-based viability assays.

Main Results:

  • Flow cytometry offers a rapid alternative to traditional culturability methods for assessing microbial viability.
  • Viability stains can be effectively utilized with flow cytometry for microbial analysis.
  • Protocols were developed to aid in the routine assessment of microbial viability.

Conclusions:

  • Flow cytometry provides a powerful tool for rapid microbial viability assessment.
  • Careful validation of each assay with the specific microorganism is essential.
  • These methods offer a more efficient approach to microbial viability testing in research and clinical settings.