Institute’s Spectral Flow Cytometry Symposium provides a winning blend of insights and interaction

Key points:

• The Institute welcomed over 180 attendees to the fourth Spectral Flow Cytometry Symposium on 9^th and 10^th July.
• The event provides an unparallelled showcase of the latest in spectral flow cytometry, both from leaders in the field and through practical experience with the latest technology.

“Inspiring”, “unique” and “truly remarkable” are reflections gathered from attendees at the Institute’s recent Spectral Flow Cytometry Symposium, which drew together over 180 attendees for two days in July.

Running for its fourth year, the event is building a reputation as an unmissable event for those working in spectral cytometry, thanks to an impactful blend of internationally leading speakers, access to a range of cytometers and also its fun and engaging culture (encompassing rainbow balloon arches, Skittles and cake).

Dr Rachael Walker, Head of the Flow Cytometry facility, said: “I’m delighted that it was another successful symposium. It’s wonderful to see people return to this event year on year and to hear about the benefit this event brings to researchers and flow cytometry experts. We aim to make sure that the content represents what’s at the forefront of the technology and present it in a way that’s of most relevant to the event’s attendees. I’m grateful to everyone who supported and attended the event.”

The event drew together a vibrant combination of researchers, service managers and cytometry specialists from academic and commercial sectors. Attendees represented 53 different universities, research institutes, commercial organisations and government departments and travelled to the event from across the UK and Europe: Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, Luxembourg, Italy, Portugal, Sweden and Germany, even attracting attendees from the USA.

Katsiaryna Shramko, a research technician at Imperial College London, summarised her experience of the symposium: “This two-day event provided a well-rounded mix of theory and hands-on application—perfectly tailored for both academic and industry scientists. Leading experts in flow cytometry shared cutting-edge insights, and there were plenty of opportunities for engaging discussions and networking.” 

Another attendee, UEA PhD student Anastasia Bezrucico, described the event as “full of valuable insights and inspiring discussions. The sessions on high-dimensional spectral analysis and data quality control were particularly relevant to my research.”

The 2026 symposium will be held at the Institute on 1^st and 2^nd July.

The organisers would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: Agilent, BD, BioLegend, Bio-Rad, Biostatus, Beckman Coulter, Cytolytics, Cytek, Dotmatics, Miltenyi, Proteintech, Sony, Tercen, ThermoFisher and Babraham Research Campus Ltd.

Image description:

Main image: Four parallel practical workshop sessions taking place in the Institute’s Flow Cytometry facility during the Spectral Flow Cytometry Symposium.