The BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer seamlessly integrates cutting-edge spectral flow cytometry with real-time imaging. By combining innovations such as BD SpectralFX™ Technology and BD CellView™ Image Technology into a single instrument, it offers unparalleled experimental power and simplified workflows to deliver reproducible results and single-cell insights that were previously undetectable. This versatile, robust and reliable instrument comes in a 5-laser configuration (B-R-V-YG-UV) with up to 78 fluorescence detectors and 8 scatter and imaging detectors.
Benefits include:
- Optimized sensitivity and resolution
- Flexibility to use imaging or high-speed mode
- Integrated autoloader with temperature control and sample mixing
- Simplified workflow to reduce setup complexity
Learn more about the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer >
Features
Take Advantage of the Advanced Spectral Resolution and Image Parameter Analysis Capabilities of the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer.
- BD SpectralFX™ Technology: Delivers exceptional sensitivity and resolution. Optimal hardware design, system-aware unmixing, and next-gen setup and QC based on LED calibrated gain interface provide highly accurate data consistently and easily at default gain settings.
- BD CellView™ Image Technology: This real-time imaging technology adds a new spatial dimension to flow cytometry analysis with image parameters like Diffusivity, Max Intensity, Radial Moment and 12 other automatically generated parameters along with scatter and fluorescent images.
- Fully Integrated Autoloader: Fully integrated inside the instrument the autoloader eliminates connectivity steps and issues for sample acquisition from plates and tube racks. High throughput and reliable, it delivers the high sample utilization and low sample carryover rate, makes it easy to maintain sample integrity with temperature control and automated sample mixing and delivers walkaway automation with automated clog/bubble detection and recovery.
- BD FACSChorus™ Software: Provides an intuitive interface for step-by-step guided navigation and makes it easy to optimize, acquire and analyze data from spectral panels with visual and unique tools such as BD® Spectral Hotspot Matrix that are built into the acquisition software.
- Fluidics: Dual-mode fluidics gives you the flexibility to get sample acquisition rates at 35,000 events/sec in high-speed mode and 12,500 events/sec in imaging mode. The instrument runs on the deionized water, eliminating the need for traditional sheath fluids for sample acquisition while volumetric acquisition and transparent merged event rate to enhance sample acquisition flexibility and accuracy.
Loader Data
The new Integrated Autoloader with temperature control and sample mixing streamlines workflows delivering the consistency you need.
25 µl of Jurkat cells (1 million cells/ml) were analyzed from each well of a standard 96-well plate to determine cell suspension consistency throughout sample mixing and analysis. Plate agitation occurred every 4 wells. High consistency between plates was observed in the number of cells acquired per well.
25 µl of Jurkat cells (1 million cells/ml) were analyzed from each well of a standard 96-well plate to determine impact of agitation on cell viability (7-AAD staining). Plate agitation occurred every 4 wells. No agitation controls were run before (green square) and after (red triangle) plate to determine baseline. A high percentage (close to a 100%) of viable cells were observed across the wells.
25 µl of PBMCs (1 million cells/ml) were analyzed from each well of a 96-well plate to determine impact of agitation on signal intensity. Plate agitation occurred every 4 wells. Consistent signal intensities were observed across the wells.
100 µL of concentrated PBMCs cells (10 million cells/mL) were acquired from one well and 1 SIT clean was done before proceeding to the next well (automated without any manual intervention). 100 µL was acquired from the subsequent wells with PBS to measure carryover. <0/01% of sample carryover was observed.
Imaging Data
Imaging parameters can be combined with standard flow cytometry parameters to measure differences in cell populations, build gating schemes, measure time courses and uncover new cell populations, enabling deeper immunophenotyping of cells.
Measuring Cell Population Differences
Building a Gating Scheme
Measuring Time Course and Concentration Gradients
Uncovering New Cell Populations
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BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer
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FAQs
- What is the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer?
The BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer is a spectral flow cytometer with real-time imaging, combining full-spectrum fluorescence detection with image-derived spatial and morphological measurements on every cell. Designed as the analytical companion to the BD FACSDiscover™ S8 Cell Sorter, the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer enables researchers to visualize signal localization and measure dynamic cellular processes such as protein trafficking, receptor localization, organelle activity, and cell-cell interactions at high throughput in real-time. These are measurements that traditional flow cytometry (conventional or spectral) cannot provide.
- What are the key benefits of the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer?
The BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer delivers single-cell insight, walkaway automation, and reproducible data at default settings in one workflow.- Deeper insight per cell: fluorescence, spatial, and morphological are captured simultaneously, enabling deep immunophenotyping and identification of new phenotype subsets.
- Reproducible results: guided workflows and automated setup reduce variability across instruments, sites, and operators in academic and biopharmaceutical discovery setting.
- Walkaway operation: a fully integrated plate/tub-rack autoloader ensures sample integrity through temperature control, automated mixing, and clog/bubble detection.
- Workflow flexibility: two switchable fluidic modes support a wide range of experiments: routine assays, high-parameter spectral, high-speed screening, and imaging panels.
These benefits are enabled by BD SpectralFX™ Technology that delivers optimal sensitivity and spectral resolution by minimizing noise, BD CellView™ Image Technology, which adds real-time imaging, and FACSTruQ™ Technology, which ensures data consistency and reproducibility at default settings.
3. How does BD CellView™ Image Technology enhance flow cytometry analysis?
BD CellView™ Image Technology adds a spatial dimension to flow cytometry by generating a real-time image and quantitative image-derived parameters for every cell without a camera. The technology splits a 488 nm laser beam into an array of frequency-tagged sub-beams. As cells pass through the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer, signals are collected and mathematically decoded using Orthogonal Frequency Domain Multiplexing (OFDM) to reconstruct high-resolution two-dimensional image without the use of traditional optics. By enabling visualization of fluorescence localization and cellular morphology alongside spectral data, BD CellView™ Image Technology adds a spatial dimension to flow cytometry that enables more information to be captured per cell, potentially unlocking novel biological findings. Operating at speeds up to 12,500 events per second, BD CellView™ Image Technology produces images comparable to 20x magnification in widefield microscopy and supports both label-free and fluorescent applications.
4. What is BD SpectralFX™ Technology and how does it improve data quality?
BD SpectralFX™ Technology combines an optimized hardware design for full-spectrum optical detection with a system-aware unmixing algorithm to improve the quality of spectral flow cytometry data. Specifically, the computationally designed modular optical architecture minimizes signal loss and electronic noise to ensure high sensitivity and resolution, while the advanced unmixing approach dynamically adjusts detector noise and signal brightness to minimize spillover spreading and manage autofluorescence. Data quality is further enhanced by pairing BD SpectralFX™ Technology with a next-generation Setup and Quality Control (QC) System and a guided software workflow, which simplify operation for improved experimental consistency and performance.
5. What optical configuration is available on the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer?
The A8 is available in 3-laser (V-B-R), 4-laser (V-B-YG-R), and 5-laser (UV-V-B-YG-R) configurations, with BD CellView™ Image Technology available at purchase or as a later upgrade.
Component | Specification |
Lasers | 5 (349, 405, 488, 561, 637 nm) in the UV-V-B-YG-R configuration |
Total detectors | Up to 86 |
Spectral fluorescence | 78 avalanche photodiodes (APDs) across all lasers |
Blue laser scatter | 3 detectors: forward scatter (FSC), side scatter (SSC), axial light loss (ALL) |
Violet laser scatter | 2 detectors: SSC and ALL |
Imaging fluorescence | 3 photomultiplier tube (PMT) detectors: 534/46, 600/60, 788/225 |
6. Can researchers switch between high-speed acquisition and imaging workflows?
Yes, the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer has two switchable fluidic modes, and moving between them is a software setting, not a hardware change
- High-speed mode: up to 35,000 events per second for routine spectral analysis, deep immunophenotyping, and high-throughput screening.
- Imaging mode: up to 12,500 events per second, adding real-time image generation and up to 78 quantitative imaging parameters for research that benefits from spatial and morphological insights.
Researchers can reserve imaging mode for the experiments where morphology matters and run at full speed otherwise.
7. What advantages does the integrated autoloader provide?
The A8 autoloader is fully integrated inside the instrument and not an external add-on, which makes it a hassle-free operation. It is engineered so cells are measured reliably at high throughput.
- Sample carrier formats: 96-well and 384-well plates (standard and deep-well) along with 40-tube racks of 12x75 mm tubes, plus auxiliary tube ports.
- Sample integrity and utilization: temperature control and automated mixing keep cells suspended and viable throughout the run, less than 1 µL dead volume in each well, and carryover below 0.01%.
- Walkaway reliability: automated clog and bubble detection with recovery, and 0–3 configurable SIT flushes between samples to suit your assays.
Together these deliver consistent data by reducing variability and free researcher time for other work.
8. How can imaging parameters be used in experiments?
BD CellView™ Image Technology can capture up to 78 image-derived spatial and morphological parameters per cell, including size, signal intensity, diffusivity, eccentricity, radial moment, and delta center of mass across several fluorescence, scatter, and light loss channels.
Imaging parameters on the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer can be used exactly like fluorescence and scatter parameters – to build gating strategies, resolve populations, and drive downstream analysis. Additionally, imaging allows for visualizing signal localization and monitoring dynamic processes in real-time, making the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer a powerful tool for studying processes such as protein trafficking, receptor expression, organelle activity, and cell-cell interactions.
9. What software is used with the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer?
The BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer uses BD FACSChorus™ Software, which enables both BD CellView™ Image Technology and BD SpectralFX™ Technology.
BD FACSChorus™ Software provides guided workflows covering start-up, experiment execution, and usage tracking, plus spectral analysis tools that simplify panel optimization and data acquisition. It offers flexible controls, preview of multiple unmixing matrices, extraction of multiple autofluorescence signatures, and post-acquisition re-unmixing. Integrated features including the Hotspot Matrix, All-by-N plot visualization, and Multiple Autofluorescence ensure smooth spectral workflows.
10. What types of laboratories are best suited for the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer?
The A8 is built for laboratories running high-parameter and/or image-enabled single-cell work ranging from academic flow cores through biopharmaceutical discovery and translational research.
- Academic core labs and individual investigator labs performing high-parameter immunophenotyping and cell characterization, where data quality and publication-grade confidence matter.
- Drug discovery and pre-clinical labs needing spatial phenotyping applications such as protein translocation, internalization, clustering, and cell-cell interaction readouts at screening throughput.
- Clinical Research, Translational and Biomarker Research laboratories requiring high degree of sensitivity, data consistency, and automation.
11. How does the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer support reproducible results?
The A8 is designed to produce consistent data at default settings, across operators, across instruments, and over time without manual calibration.
A fully automated setup and QC system uses LED-based tools and setup beads to calibrate detectors and characterize the system before each run. The system-aware BD SpectralFX™ unmixing algorithm then uses that calibration to interpret full-spectrum fluorescence accurately under the actual conditions of the run. Calibrated gain settings, integrated sample handling, and standardized workflows extend that consistency across researchers, instruments, and sites, which matters most for longitudinal studies, and multi-site collaborations.
12. Can the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer be used for high-throughput studies?
Yes, the combination of 35,000 events per second acquisition and integrated autoloader makes the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer well suited to demanding high-throughput workflows. Sample temperature control and automated sample mixing on the autoloader ensure consistent sample acquisition from 96-well plates, while also enabling walk-away operation with automated clog/bubble detection and recovery. To avoid waiting around at the end of the day, the BD FACSChorus™ Software provides an automated cleaning and shut-down sequence, during which the instrument runs a routine clean and puts the hardware into a safe standby state in readiness for the next user.
13. What support infrastructure is available for the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer?
Every BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer installation includes operator training, panel design support, and access to highly skilled BD application scientists for experiment review. Contact your Waters Biosciences representative to discuss which service plan best meets your requirements.
14. Is the BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer RUO?
The BD FACSDiscover™ A8 Cell Analyzer is for Research Use Only and is not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic or therapeutic procedures.
BD Flow Cytometers are Class I Laser Products.
BD, the BD Logo and BD CellView, BD FACSDiscover and BD SpectralFX are trademarks of Becton, Dickinson and Company or its affiliates.