Mass cytometry employs antibodies conjugated to heavy metal isotopes instead of traditional fluorophores. Cells are stained with these metal-tagged antibodies and then introduced into a mass cytometer. The cytometer ionizes the cells, and the metal tags are detected by a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The data generated provides a detailed profile of protein expression on a cell-by-cell basis, which is invaluable for phenotyping various cell populations within a tumor.
