OMIPs—Orchestrating multiplexity in polychromatic science

Abstract

CYTOMETRY is spearheading advances in quantitative cell based research with its technological emphasis on flow and image based cytometric assays. However, it is not only the innovative technologies but also innovations in increasing the quality and reliability of scientific publications. The prominent example is the MIFlowCyt standard that has been published 2 years ago (1) defining the minimal information that is needed to understand and repeat flow cytometry-based experiments. As of today, two manuscripts were published that were prepared in compliance with MIFlowCyt. One by Blimkie et al. (2) and the second now by Heimbeck and colleagues (this issue: page 823). Both manuscripts serve as prototype papers for authors to make their upcoming work in agreement with the rules. To ease their burden, our team has developed a checklist (this issue: page 813) that simplifies MIFlowCyt adaptation of a new manuscript. In this issue is the inauguration of a new publication type for Cytometry Part A, Optimized Multicolor Immunofluorescence Panel (OMIP). OMIPs are designed to fill a gap in the literature: a mechanism for communicating and disseminating complex panels of reagents designed to interrogate phenotypic or functional aspects of cells. Since panels are basically methodological in nature, it is extravagant to devote an entire research paper to a single panel and most journals are appropriately loathe to do so. Similarly, including panel development in the eventual biological research publication is made difficult by publication constraints. Nonetheless, the development and optimization of these panels can be very complex, time-consuming, and laborious, akin to optimization of any new technique in a laboratory; disseminating that information is highly valuable. As proposed, OMIPs will occupy only two printed pages, with a significant amount of supplemental information. Hence, the OMIP becomes a parsimonious publication mechanism by which information about the panel optimization and use can be communicated. By doing so in a peer-reviewed, citable publication, those who have carried out this significant effort can be suitably recognized for their work. In addition, the OMIP can serve to dramatically shorten development efforts in labs that are initiating a new immunophenotyping study, by providing a suitably-optimized panel or, at a minimum, a significant body of information from which a suitable panel can be built. OMIPs embrace a broad field of scientific and clinical applications including clinical immunology (3; and Alamooti et al., this issue: page 890), leukemia (Xie et al. this issue: page 840), cytokine production (4), phenotyping of stem and progenitor cells (5; and Estes et al., this issue: page 831), and leukocytes (Heimbeck et al., this issue: page 823). It should be stressed that OMIPs are not solely in the realm of flow cytometry. Polychromatic microscopes like the laser scanning cytometer (Zoog et al.; this issue: page 849) are becoming more common; panels optimized for fluorescence microscopy are timely and welcome. Image cytometry technologies may also include labeling techniques that apply sequential restaining to obtain highly complex patterns of cellular phenotype and function such as Toponomics (6) or chip based explorative cytometry (7).