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Flow cytometry is a powerful tool providing multiparametric analysis of single cells or particles. The introduction of faster plate-based sampling technologies on flow cytometers has transformed the technology into one that has become attractive for higher throughput drug discovery screening. This article describes AstraZeneca's perspectives on the deployment and application of high-throughput flow cytometry (HTFC) platforms for small-molecule high-throughput screening (HTS), structure-activity relationship (SAR) and phenotypic screening, and antibody screening. We describe the overarching HTFC workflow, including the associated automation and data analysis, along with a high-level overview of our HTFC assay portfolio. We go on to discuss the practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the course of our deployment of HTFC, as well as future enhancements and expansion of the technology to new areas of drug discovery.

Flow cytometry is a technology providing multiparametric analysis of single cells or other suspension particles. High-throughput (HT) flow cytometry has become an attractive screening platform for drug discovery. In this review, we highlight the recent HT flow cytometry applications, and then focus on HT flow cytometry deployment at AstraZeneca (AZ). Practical considerations for successful HT flow cytometry assay development and screening are provided based on experience from four project case studies at AZ. We provide an overview of the scientific rationale, explain why HT flow cytometry was chosen and how HT flow cytometry assays deliver new ways to support the drug discovery process., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)