FCS Express provides a complete DNA analysis solution based upon the widely used MultiCycle AV™ DNA analysis package written by Dr. Peter Rabinovitch at the University of Washington, and distributed by Phoenix Flow Systems (http://www.phoenixflow.com).

 

From the Multicycle manual:

 

"DNA content histograms require mathematical analysis in order to extract the underlying G1, S, and G2 phase distributions...The most flexible and accurate methods of cell cycle analysis are based upon building a mathematical model of the DNA content distribution, and then fitting this model to the data using curve-fitting methods." Multicycle contains "the most well established models," like those "proposed by Dean and Jett, based upon the prediction that the cell cycle histogram is a result of the Gaussian broadening of the theoretically perfect distribution," and Fox, whose "model provides a more flexible S phase shape, but still retains the smoothness of the S phase that is characteristic of the Dean and Jett model." In addition, "careful attention to fitting of the background aggregates and debris is also" a feature of Multicycle "in order to maximize the reliability of cell cycle analysis of complex histograms."

 

A free, limited version of Multicycle is included with FCS Express. This free version only reports the data on a basic 1-cycle Autofit with no background correction. When using the free version, there will be a warning message if more than one cycle is detected in your .fcs data files, and/or if a background correction would improve the fit. Both of these conditions require the full version of Multicycle for accurate analysis.

 

The full version of Multicycle is available for purchase as an add-on. The complete version allows 1-, 2-, and 3-cycle fits with the ability to change parameters manually and perform background correction.