Yield is the percentage of target cells harvested based on the number of cells theoretically available in the starting population. To calculate yield, stain a sample of unsorted and sorted cells with antibodies to identify the target cells, and count the total number of target cells using 123count eBeads (Cat. No. 01-1234-42) on the cytometer. Yield = # of sorted target cells, # of target cells unsorted.
Purity is the percentage of cells harvested that are target cells. Purity can be directly generated by flow cytometric analysis of sorted samples. To obtain purity, stain the sorted cells with antibodies to identify the target cells and analyze by flow cytometry. Gate on live, single cells, and subsequently gate on the target cell population. Purity is the percentage of target cells in the live, single-cell gate.
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