Label-free cell analysis and sorting. What is it and why is it so important?

When it comes to sorting cells, it is common practice to use fluorescent or magnetic tags to label certain cellular features. For a long time, that was the only practical way to separate cells and you had to hope that the labels you used did not interfere with subsequent analysis and testing. Given many innovations in the area of cell analysis and sorting, there is now a multitude of different ways of analyzing and sorting cells. Ways that do not necessitate the addition of often costly cellular labels to allow one to see what’s going on at the cellular level.

As you may be aware, cell sorting is now common practice in many research labs and hospitals. It seems that much of the future of precision and personalised medicine itself will rely on specifically isolated cell populations. This is of great potential benefit to improved medicines and treatments; however, there are some critical bottlenecks stopping the global adoption of many modern medical treatments that rely on cell sorting.

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