Slide-based cytometry for cytomics--a minireview.

In the postgenomic era, to gain the most detailed quantitative data from biological specimens has become increasingly important in the emerging new fields of high-content and high-throughput single-cell analysis for systems biology and cytomics. Areas of research and diagnosis with the demand to virtually measure "anything" in the cell include immunophenotyping, rare cell detection and characterization in the case of stem cells and residual tumor cells, tissue analysis, and drug discovery. Systemic analysis is also a prerequisite for predictive medicine by genomics, proteomics, and cytomics. This issue of Cytometry Part A is dedicated to innovative concepts of system wide single cells analysis and manipulation, new technologies, data analysis and display, and, finally, quality assessment. The manuscripts to these chapters are provided by cutting edge experts in the fields. This overview will briefly highlight the most important aspects of this continuously developing field.