FCSTrans: An open source software system for FCS file conversion and data transformation

IN flow cytometry (FCM) experiments, investigators usually rely on instrument manufacturers and ‘‘black box’’ commercial software to transform cellular marker expressions into cell populations on 2D dot plots. Techniques behind these systems and their limitations have not been sufficiently addressed or disclosed. Currently, a Flow Cytometry Standard (FCS) file can be FCS2.0 or FCS3.0 (N.B. Newer standards like FCS3.1 and ACS1.0 have been proposed and might be generated by some manufacturers in the