Molecular Probes™ Cell Sorting Set-up Beads are reliable standards for flow cytometry sorter instrument setup and calibration. The Cell Sorting Set-up Beads approximate the size, emission wavelength, and intensity of many biological samples, and so can be used to calibrate a flow cytometer’s cell sorting system, including laser source, optics, and stream flow. The beads are optimized for checking cell sorter settings such as drop delay and efficiency (cell loss during sorting).

View information for all flow cytometry calibration and size reference beads.

Cell Sorting Set-up Beads are available for use with UV, blue, green/yellow, and red lasers.These 6.0 μm beads for UV lasers are fluorescent-dye infused microspheres that are excitable between 350–370 nm with emission in the range of 400–470 nm.

Cell Sorting Set-Up Beads provide:

• Consistency in production, creating ideal reference standards
• Confidence through reliable, optimal instrument performance
• Compatibility—use with any instrument

Bead Labeling
As with all of our flow cytometry standard microspheres, the Cell Sorting Set-up Beads are stained internally rather than on the surface. The dyes are therefore insulated from environmental interactions that could cause variable fluorescence output, resulting in excellent signal stability. These 6.0 μm fluorescent polystyrene microspheres are supplied as suspensions packaged in dropper vials for convenient dispensation and are available in a choice of four colors (UV, blue, green/yellow, red) to match your laser.

The dyes used in the manufacture of the Cell Sorting Set-up Beads have been carefully selected to provide emission peaks coincident with cells labeled with commonly used fluorescent dyes. The emission profiles for these standards are intentionally narrow in comparison to cells labeled with a corresponding fluorescent dye. Due to their narrow emission profiles, beads of two different fluorescent colors exhibit minimal spectral overlap, and little or no color compensation is needed when setting up for multicolor experiments.

Notes:
These beads are an alternative to PeakFlow™ flow cytometry reference beads.

For optimal verification of the laser alignment of a cell sorter cytometer, please see our selection of Alignflow™ Flow Cytometry Alignment Beads.