fluorescence-activated cell sorter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Scientific
Quick answer
What does “fluorescence-activated cell sorter” mean?
A specialized laboratory machine that separates and sorts individual biological cells based on whether they are fluorescing (emitting light) after being treated with a fluorescent dye or tag.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A specialized laboratory machine that separates and sorts individual biological cells based on whether they are fluorescing (emitting light) after being treated with a fluorescent dye or tag.
In cell biology and biomedical research, a sophisticated instrument (often abbreviated as FACS) that uses lasers to excite fluorescent markers attached to specific cells or cellular components within a fluid stream, enabling the physical sorting of heterogeneous cell populations into pure samples for further analysis.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in the term itself. Spelling conventions follow general UK/US patterns (e.g., 'fluorescence' vs. 'fluorescence' is identical). The abbreviation 'FACS' is universal.
Connotations
Identical high-level technical/specialist connotations in both dialects.
Frequency
Equally low frequency outside of specialized fields in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “fluorescence-activated cell sorter” in a Sentence
The researcher used [a fluorescence-activated cell sorter] to isolate [T-cells].[Cells] were sorted by [fluorescence-activated cell sorting].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “fluorescence-activated cell sorter” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The cells need to be FACSed before the next stage.
- We plan to FACS the transfected population tomorrow.
American English
- The cells need to be FACS-sorted before the next stage.
- We're going to run the sample through the sorter.
adverb
British English
- The cells were isolated fluorescence-activately.
American English
- The cells were isolated via fluorescence-activated sorting.
adjective
British English
- She is an expert in FACS-based immunophenotyping.
- We need FACS-grade antibodies for this experiment.
American English
- She is an expert in fluorescence-activated cell sorting techniques.
- We need sorting-grade antibodies for this experiment.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in contexts of biotech procurement: 'The capital expenditure request includes a new fluorescence-activated cell sorter.'
Academic
Primary context. Common in life sciences research papers and methodology sections: 'PBMCs were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).'
Everyday
Virtually never used.
Technical
Core, standard term in laboratory protocols, instrument manuals, and scientific discussions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “fluorescence-activated cell sorter”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “fluorescence-activated cell sorter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “fluorescence-activated cell sorter”
- Misspelling: 'flourescence-activated' (incorrect), 'florescence-activated' (incorrect, that's flowering).
- Using it as a verb incorrectly: 'We will fluorescence-activated cell sort the sample' (correct: 'We will sort the cells using a FACS' or 'We will perform FACS on the sample').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Flow cytometry is the technology for measuring (analyzing) physical and chemical characteristics of cells as they flow past a laser. FACS (Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting) is a specific application of flow cytometry that adds a component to physically deflect and sort cells into different containers based on those measurements.
It is typically treated as singular when referring to the machine ('The FACS is in room 101') but can be plural when referring to multiple machines or data sets. The verb 'to FACS' is informal lab jargon.
Directly, it's cumbersome. The standard adjectival form is 'FACS-based' or 'fluorescence-activated cell sorting' used attributively (e.g., 'FACS-based analysis', 'fluorescence-activated cell sorting data').
It is most prevalent in immunology, cancer research, stem cell biology, microbiology, and any field of biomedical science requiring the isolation of specific cell types from a mixed population.
A specialized laboratory machine that separates and sorts individual biological cells based on whether they are fluorescing (emitting light) after being treated with a fluorescent dye or tag.
Fluorescence-activated cell sorter is usually technical/scientific in register.
Fluorescence-activated cell sorter: in British English it is pronounced /flʊəˌrɛsəns ˈæktɪveɪtɪd sɛl ˈsɔːtə/, and in American English it is pronounced /flʊˌrɛsəns ˈæktəˌveɪt̬ɪd sɛl ˈsɔːrtɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “FACS it out”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a nightclub bouncer (the SORTER) who only lets in people (CELLS) who are glowing under a blacklight (FLUORESCENCE-ACTIVATED).
Conceptual Metaphor
A HIGH-TECH POSTAL SERVICE for cells: it scans each 'package' (cell) for a glowing barcode (fluorescence) and routes it to the correct bin.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of a fluorescence-activated cell sorter?