Sampling for Flow Cytometry ( FCM )
Advance preparation : for each sample to be collected , aliquot 900 µl of seawater ( artificial seawater salts or complete sterile medium ) into a labeled 1.2 ml cryovial .
Collect sample : add 100 µl of sample into cryovial containing 900 µl of seawater .
Keep cryovial cap clean and sterile .
Preserve / fix sample : In the chemical fume hood , lay out cryovial caps ( inside cap facing up ) and use the repeator pipet to add 5 µl of glutaraldehyde ( 25 % ) to each cap .
Cap each tube and mix well by inverting a few times .
Incubate for 10 minutes in the dark .
Flash - freeze tubes in liquid nitrogen and store at - 80°C until analysis .
