Sandia physicist Scott Bisson prepares samples for a flow cytometer. The cytometer, seen here sitting underneath a computer monitor, is a central element in the Enhanced Bioaerosol Detection (EBADS) program and will be integrated with an aerosol collection system to analyze potential bioaerosols on a single particle basis for detect-to-warn applications. Flow cytometry (FCM) is a technique for counting and examining microscopic particles, such as cells and chromosomes, by suspending them in a stream of fluid and passing them by an electronic detection apparatus. Flow cytometry is routinely used in the diagnosis of health disorders, especially blood cancers, but has many other applications in both research and clinical practice.