ISACProbe Tag Dictionary: Standardized Nomenclature for Detection and Visualization Labels Used in Cytometry and Microscopy Imaging

Since the advent of microscopy imaging and flow cytometry, there has been an explosion in the number of probes, consisting of a component binding to an analyte and a detectable tag, to mark areas of interest in or on cells and tissue. Probe tags have been created to detect and/or visualize probes. Over time, these probe tags have increased in number. The expansion has resulted in arbitrarily created synonyms of probe tags used in publications and software. The synonyms are problematic for readability of publications, accuracy of text/data mining, and bridging data from multiple platforms, protocols, and databases for Big Data analysis. Development and implementation of a universal language for probe tags will ensure equivalent quality and level of data being reported or extracted for clinical/scientific evaluation as well as help connect data from many platforms. The International Society for Advancement of Cytometry Data Standards Task Force composed of academic scientists and industry hardware/software/reagent manufactures have developed recommendations for a standardized nomenclature for probe tags used in cytometry and microscopy imaging. These recommendations are shared in this technical note in the form of a Probe Tag Dictionary. (c) 2020 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry

Automated summary

With the advancement of microscopy imaging and flow cytometry, the number of probes has increased rapidly, leading to the creation of arbitrary synonyms for probe tags in publications and software, causing issues in readability and data analysis. The development of a standardized nomenclature for probe tags is essential for ensuring data quality and facilitating data integration across multiple platforms.