An iteration is a data file, or a group of data files, viewed in the layout as part of an analysis. An example of an Iteration can be several files collected per study subject, time point, or condition, where the data is to be compared side by side simultaneously.

Iterations are a quick way to change to another sample or group of samples when reviewing data files in the data list or during a batch process. Using iterations to manage files and data sets in FCS Express is an efficient way to perform data analysis.

• Importance of Iteration Management Webinar

In FCS Express, there are multiple ways to easily change the data files that are being displayed within your plots to another data file. This video provides detailed steps and shows easy it is to change your data from one file to another.

• Knowledge Base - Changing Data Files
• How to Change your Data Files Quick Video

In a typical experiment, you can repeat the same set of staining protocols many different times, with different samples, but using the same number and sequence of tubes for your experiment. This type of staining protocol is often referred to as a Panel.

In FCS Express, the Panels tool allows you to organize together the files referring to the same panel. Once you have designated an active panel, and added files to the Data List, FCS Express will automatically determine which data file corresponds to which tube in your panel. You can change this association from the Data List. With an active panel, FCS Express will know which plots will display the proper file. This way, when you load a new iteration or you replace data in the Data List, the plots will automatically update with the correct file for that tube. For instance, if a particular plot was showing a particular tube from the previous data set, it will show the same tube from the next data set.

Utilizing a panel, you can also define stationary controls that can be used with overlays or help determine gate placement.  FCS Express will not move these stationary control files when moving to the next or previous data file iteration or when running batch processing.

FCS Express allows you to specify either the number and the names of tubes in the panel as well as adding "blank" tubes as place holders when necessary.

• Web Page - Panels
• User Manual - Working with Panels
• Using Panels in FCS Express Quick Video
• Creating and Using Panels Tutorial
• Managing Data for Advanced Analysis Webinar

In this video, we analyze an immunophenotyping experiment in FCS Express. Watch as we insert and format plots,apply gates, markers and quadrants; add statistics to our layout; and, batch export our results to PowerPoint and Excel. We will then add more tubes to our experiment and analyze them side by side, using Panels. Rather than focusing on any particular procedure, we'll aim to quickly become familiar with many of the basic yet powerful features of FCS Express-- all in the context of a natural workflow for analyzing flow cytometry data.

• Immunophenotyping Webinar

FCS Express gives you two ways to export (i.e., save) the data from an FCS file in different formats. You can export data from a single file or you can batch export data from several files at one time. The latter method also allows you to merge/concatenate multiple files together.

File Merging allows to create a new file that can display and compare parameters in a single plot for multiple data files. File Merging is also useful when comparing tSNE/SPADE transformations across a range of samples. Real-time gating and statistics can be used with a merged file just like any other data file in FCS Express.

• User Manual - Exporting from a Single File
• User Manual - Exporting and/or Concatenating Multiple Files
• File Merging and Concatenation Quick Video
• File Merging and Concatenation in FCS Express 7 Webinar