What is the main application of flow cytometry in biotechnology?

Flow cytometry is primarily utilized in biotechnology to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of cells. This technique allows for the rapid examination of various attributes such as cell size, granularity, and the expression of specific surface markers or intracellular proteins. By employing fluorescent labeling, flow cytometry can provide quantitative data on thousands of cells per second, making it an invaluable tool in research and clinical applications, such as immunophenotyping, cell sorting, and studying cellular processes in health and disease.

While temperature measurement, biochemical synthesis, and cell culturing are important in various biological studies, they do not accurately capture the unique capabilities and primary purpose of flow cytometry, which focuses on detailed cellular analysis and characterization.