Data from a performance comparison of four commercially available flow cytometers using polystyrene beads

Accurate comparison of flow cytometric data requires an understanding of how the cytometric fingerprint of a sample may vary from instrument to instrument. Key sources of variability include the number, wavelengths, and power of excitation lasers; the number and types of emission detectors; sample-handling systems and options; and whether fixed or dynamic detector voltages are used. To explore this variability, identical suspensions of three sizes (0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 m-diameter) of solid, fluorescent, polystyrene beads were prepared. The suspensions were then run at on four commercially available flow cytometers, keeping instrument settings as consistent as possible. The results are displayed graphically in Figure 3 of the article “Flow cytometry applications in water treatment, distribution, and reuse: A review” (DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.12.016). This dataset contains the complete .FCS files generated from the experimental comparison.