About IFCB
The Imaging FlowCytobot (IFCB) is a submersible in-flow instrument developed by Heidi Sosik and Robert Olson to address the need for nano- and microplankton imaging. The IFCB enables long-term, continuous observations of plankton communities and aids researchers in understanding the structures of the communities and the processes and interactions that determine the species’ life cycles. Our ifcbUTOPIA project is developing a machine learning classification system specific to data gathered by IFCBs globally.
The IFCB images phytoplankton in the 10 – 100 micrometer range at a water sampling rate of 5 mL/20 min and can operate autonomously for months. It uses video and flow cytometric technology to obtain images of individual organisms and measure chlorophyll fluorescence. By incorporating detection of chlorophyll fluorescence as a trigger, the IFCB can more efficiently capture images of phytoplankton for analysis.
The instrument works by injecting a 5 mL seawater sample into the center of a sheath flow of clean, particle-free water. This causes the particles in the seawater to be centered in the flow cell and ensures they are in focus during imaging in the optical system.
The optical system focuses a 635 nm red diode laser on an elliptical beam spot. When particles pass through, their interaction with the beam produces scattered light at 635 nm. If the cells in the particle contain chlorophyll, they also emit 680 nm fluorescent light. Detection of scattering or fluorescence can be used to trigger a flash lamp, which provides illumination for the monochrome CCD camera.
IFCB Resources:
For more information on the specifics of the mechanical, electrical, fluidics, and optical systems of the IFCB, refer to Heidi Sosik and Robert Olson’s paper, “A submersible imaging-in-flow instrument to analyze nano- and microplankton: Imaging FlowCytobot” here.
The IFCB is manufactured and distributed by McLane Labs. Specifications and operations manuals can be found on their webpage here.