Blog Category: Technical

October 2020 Share

Figuring out how to separate cells is an important part of any medical researcher’s job. There are a multitude of ways to sort different types of substances and the right process often depends on what you’re trying to isolate. One of the quicker and cheaper ways to sort a sample based only on physical characteristics is with centrifugation. Density Gradient Centrifugation The process of centrifugation allows scientists to separate substances …

October 2020 Share

T Cells T Cells, or T lymphocytes, are a major part of the immune system. They are cells specifically designed to fight infections they have not yet encountered. As part of any research, there may be a time when you need T cells for isolation. They mature in the thymus until released into the bloodstream as naive T cells. Naive T cells are unassigned T lymphocytes that search for an …

October 2020 Share

MACS, FACS, and BACS are cell sorting techniques with individualized processes to isolation. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the goal, it may be more beneficial to choose one or the other. MACS Magnetic-activated cell sorting, or MACS, is a cell separation technology which separates cells using magnets to target them. MACS is a popular form of cell isolation known to be reliable with a sustainable processing time. …

October 2020 Share

Cytotoxic T Cells A cytotoxic T cell (CD8+ T cell) is a type of lymphocyte responsible for eliminating substances the immune system identifies as harmful. Cytotoxic T cells play a critical role in limiting infections and bacteria in the body. Functions of Cytotoxic T Cells Viruses and other bacteria attack by multiplying and spreading diseases as infected cells. Once a cell is infected, there is no way for antibodies to …

August 2020 Share

When researchers handle complex biological samples, they often need to isolate a specific cell population. The process of separating a cell type of interest from others in a heterogeneous mixture, known as cell isolation or cell sorting, allows scientists to perform downstream analysis for life sciences or other research areas. There are many cell sorting methods researchers have at their disposal; one such method is based in flow cytometry. Flow …

August 2020 Share

The ability to isolate cell populations from heterogenous mixtures is a key part of life sciences research. One approach to separating cells is magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS), which uses magnets to isolate targeted cells from the rest of a biological sample. Magnetic cell separation is a popular technology; however, like any method of sorting cells, it has its shortcomings. But MACS needs to look out, because there is a new …

July 2020 Share

Microbubbles are small, gas-filled bubbles with applications throughout the life sciences, medicine, and other industries. At Akadeum, we take microbubbles to a new level: Revolutionizing cell separation technology. Akadeum’s buoyancy-activated cell sorting (BACS™) microbubbles are a polydisperse mixture of hollow glass microspheres used to isolate cells in a biological sample. These microbubbles capture target cells and quickly float them to the surface for removal. Our microbubble technology is efficient, gentle, …

March 2020 Share

Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), sometimes called fluorescence-assisted cell sorting, is a specialized type of flow cytometry that uses fluorescent markers to target and isolate cell groups. It is cell sorting technique is commonly used in hematopoiesis, oncology, and stem cell biology research.

March 2020 Share

Cell isolation methods and technologies use either a positive or negative cell separation approach. Here are some of the differences when considering a cell separation approach:

March 2020 Share

Blood separation is a key part of many life sciences. Researchers in clinical labs and other biotechnical roles commonly analyze blood cells, but to perform this research, whole blood must first be separated into its components. By isolating and enriching target cells from plasma, scientists can then detect diseases, study immunological functions, and further process specific cell types. Components of Whole Blood Whole blood consists of red cells, white cells, …