Resolving Challenges in Flow Cytometry Panel Design

After new users become familiar with flow cytometry instrumentation and learn how to set up the instrument and acquire data, the next topic to master is panel design. Optimizing a multicolor immunophenotyping panel is often feared as an iterative, time-consuming and costly process with a lot of uncertainty about the true performance characteristics of the final design. Simultaneous optimization of multiple variables is required, empirically trading off sensitivity due to marker co-expression and inherent instrument limitations.

In this webinar, Matt Goff and Michael Kapinsky from our research flow cytometry platform will discuss panel design from both the assay development and the instrumentation development perspective. In the first part of this webinar, we describe a practical stepwise method that organizes panel design principles in an easy-to-understand diagram. In the second part of the webinar, we will use these principles to give an understanding of how this new flow cytometry technology facilitates immunophenotyping experiments. Using flow cytometry data, we’ll compare the experimental outcomes of panels with the results expected according to panel design principles.

Learning objectives:

• Describe why it isn’t always advantageous to use the brightest dyes for every marker.
• Discuss how to incorporate instrument characteristics and biological considerations into your panel design to maximize the sensitivity required to detect low abundance and rare populations.
• Demonstrate a powerful concept for applying panel design best practices that can help novices to advanced flow cytometrists design and/or communicate their panel choices.
• See real-world examples demonstrating how new technology is resolving challenges in multicolor applications and providing more panel design flexibility.

About the speakers

Michael Kapinsky, PhD

Michael Kapinsky has a strategic marketing role at Beckman Coulter's Flow Cytometry division. As a member of the global business unit, Michael owns responsibility for the clinical research product line branded as DURAClone and contributes to Beckman Coulter's strategic clinical research initiative. Michael joined Beckman Coulter in 2002. Michael is following trends and future directions in biomedicine with an interest in novel therapeutic approaches based on immune modulation and targeting as well as on "living drugs". He leads the development of ready-to-use antibody panels for phenotypic and functional characterization of primary and genetically modified human cells. Upon obtaining his PhD at the Institute of Laboratory Medicine of the University of Regensburg/Germany he started as a field application specialist, tailoring multicolor flow cytometry applications to meet a diversity of needs in different environments, from basic research to regulated laboratories. Michael was granted patents in US and EU for a novel antibody panel design method. He continues to provide substantial technical support to international clinical research studies such as The ONE Study (www.onestudy.org). He was granted the Danaher "Excellence in Innovation" award for his contributions to the development of a novel diagnostic method for infectious diseases.

Matthew Goff

Matthew Goff is a commercial product manager at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences in the BioDiscovery division of the Flow Cytometry Business Unit.  As a part of the business unit Matthew is responsible for the flow cytometry analyzer hardware products in the CytoFLEX Platform.  Matthew joined Beckman Coulter Life Sciences in 2018.  Prior to this Matthew worked in and around flow cytometry in a number of roles as a researcher, core manager, sales associate and marketing manager.  Matthew is passionate about bringing flow to a new generation of scientists exploring small particles, microbiology, and large, complex panel design.