Cell isolation helps researchers characterize specific, pure cell populations. Cell depletion indirectly helps this characterization by depleting the cells that are not of interest. Cell isolation, also commonly referred to as cell separation or cell sorting, can be achieved using magnetic beads to target cells for selection or depletion by using ligands or antibodies directed against specific cell surface antigens. Labeled cells that are cross-linked to magnetic beads are immobilized using magnets or magnetic racks. This method is simpler and faster compared to other commonly used cell isolation methods to isolate highly purified populations of specific cell subsets.
Magnetic bead cell separation methods offer the capability to perform positive and negative cell selection, as well as cell depletion. For positive selection, the magnetic-bound cells of interest are immobilized until removed from the magnet, while the supernatant is discarded. For negative selection, the cells of interest are in the supernatant. For cell depletion, cell-specific magnetic beads are used to remove specific unwanted cell types from a mixed cell sample with >99% efficiency.
Read more about positive and negative selection and depletion, as well as view our variety of kits and products to help improve your cell isolation protocols.
Dynabeads products are available for a multitude of molecular and cellular applications. Don’t know where to start? Use our easy selection guide that considers sample type, target molecule, and downstream application to provide tailored recommendations for Dynabeads products.
Positive cell isolation
Positive cell isolation involves directly labeling desired cells for selection using an antibody or ligand that targets a specific cell surface protein.
Positive cell isolation with Dynabeads magnetic beads
In positive cell isolation using Dynabeads magnetic beads, the beads are coated with the specific antibody or ligand to bind to the target cells and the bead/cell complexes are pulled down using a magnet. The supernatant contains non-specific cells and debris which can be discarded, leaving only your pure target cells attached to the bead.
Cell separation using magnetic beads:
- Is a gentle, tube-based method
- Isolates high yields of pure, viable, and functional cells
- Preserves the cells’ native characteristics
Human positive cell isolation kits
 | Positive cell isolation kits available for human cells target the following cell surface markers: |
| Cell surface marker to target for isolation | Cell type targeted | Format(s) available |
|---|---|---|
| CD3 | Cytotoxic T cells and T helper cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD4 | T helper cells, regulatory T cells, and natural killer T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD8 | Cytotoxic T cells | FlowComp kit DETACHaBEAD kit |
| CD14 | Naive CD4+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD19 | Pan B cells | DETACHaBEAD kit |
| CD34 | Progenitor stem cells | DETACHaBEAD kit |
| CD4/CD25 | Regulatory CD4+ T cells | DETACHaBEAD kit |
| EPCAM | Epithelial cells | CELLection kit |
Mouse positive cell isolation kits
 | Positive cell isolation kits available for mouse cells target the following cell surface markers: |
| Cell surface marker to target for isolation | Cell type targeted | Format(s) available |
|---|---|---|
| CD4 | Naive CD4+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD8 | Naive CD8+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD4/CD25 | Regulatory CD4+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD90.2 | Pan T cells | FlowComp kit |
| Pan IgG | Depends on your antibody | CELLection kit |
Build-your-own positive cell isolation kit
Additional positive cell isolation kits are available to use for a wide range of species, with any antibody of your choice.
| Use with | Format available |
|---|---|
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species | FlowComp kit |
| Any biotinylated antibody targeting any cell type in any species | CELLection kit |
Negative cell isolation
Negative cell involves labeling unwanted cell types for removal. The unwanted cell types can be bound using magnetic beads coupled to antibodies or ligands that target specific cell surface proteins. The bound, unwanted cells can be depleted from the final isolated fraction by incubating the sample in a magnetic field, leaving desired unbound cells free floating in solution.
Negative cell isolation with Dynabeads magnetic beads
In negative cell isolation, Dynabeads magnetic beads are used to deplete all the unwanted cells using the supplied antibody mix. The target cells are left in the sample untouched and free of beads. The isolated target cells can be directly analyzed in a flow cytometer and used in any functional assay.
Negative cell separation using magnetic beads:
- Is a gentle, tube-based method
- Isolates high yields of pure, viable, and functional cells
- Preserves the cells’ native characteristics
Human negative cell isolation kits
| Negative cell isolation kits are available for human cells to target the following cell types: |
| Cell type targeted | Cell surface marker(s) to target for isolation | Format available |
|---|---|---|
| T helper cells, regulatory T cells, and natural killer T cells | CD4 | Untouched kit |
| Cytotoxic T cells | CD8 | Untouched kit |
| Dendritic cells (DCs) | CD3, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD56, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Monocytes | CD3, CD7, CD16 (a and b), CD19, CD56, CD123, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Pan B cells | CD2, CD14, CD16 (a and b), CD36, CD43, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Pan T cells | CD14, CD16 (a and b), CD19, CD36, CD56, CD123, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Natural killer (NK) cells | CD3, CD14, CD36, HLA Class II, CD123, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
Mouse negative cell isolation kits
| Negative cell isolation kits are available for mouse cells to target the following cell types: |
| Cell type targeted | Cell surface marker(s) to target for isolation | Format available |
|---|---|---|
| Naive CD4+ T cells | CD4 | Untouched kit |
| Naive CD8+ T cells | CD8 | Untouched kit |
| Dendritic cells (DCs) | CD2, CD3ε, CD49b, mIgM, and Ter-119 | Dynabeads kit |
| Pan B cells | CD43 | Dynabeads kit |
| Pan T cells | CD11b, CD16/32, CD45R, and Ter-119 | Untouched kit |
Cell depletion with Dynabeads magnetic beads
Cell depletion is aided by cell separation steps using magnetic beads. Cell depletion using magnetic beads involves selectively removing specific unwanted cells from a mixed population by using magnetic beads coupled with antibodies or ligands targeting specific cell surface markers. Through exposure to a magnetic field, the bead-bound unwanted cells are separated and removed from sample, allowing the isolation of desired cell populations for downstream characterization and analysis.
Human cell depletion kits
| Cell depletion kits are available to target specific human cell surface markers to deplete certain cell populations, which can be found in the table below. |
| Cell type to deplete | Cell surface marker(s) to target for depletion |
|---|---|
| T cells and natural killer (NK) cells | CD2 |
| Mature T cells | CD3 |
| T helper cells | CD4 |
| Cytotoxic T cells | CD8 |
| Monocytes | CD14 |
| Neutrophil and eosinophil granulocytes | CD15 |
| Pan B cells | CD19 |
| Regulatory T cells | CD25 |
| Endothelial cells | CD31 |
| Leukocytes | CD45 |
| Epithelial cells | EPCAM |
Mouse cell depletion kits
| Cell depletion kits are available to target specific mouse cell surface markers to deplete certain cell populations, which can be found in the table below. |
| Cell type to deplete | Cell surface marker(s) to target for depletion |
|---|---|
| CD4+ T cells | CD4 |
| CD8+ T cells | CD8 |
| Pan B cells | B220 |
| Pan T cells | Thy1.2 |
Build-your-own negative cell depletion kit
Additional cell depletion kits are available to use for a wide range of species, with any antibody of your choice.
| Use with | Format available |
|---|---|
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species (except rat) | Sheep Anti-Rat IgG |
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species (except mouse) | Pan Mouse IgG |
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species | Biotin Binder |
To refine for a particular cell type, you can simply add extra antibodies to the antibody mix. With the secondary antibody-coated Dynabeads sheep anti-rabbit IgG and sheep anti-mouse IgG you can create your own negative isolation kit for isolation of any cells from any species.
Positive cell isolation
Positive cell isolation involves directly labeling desired cells for selection using an antibody or ligand that targets a specific cell surface protein.
Positive cell isolation with Dynabeads magnetic beads
In positive cell isolation using Dynabeads magnetic beads, the beads are coated with the specific antibody or ligand to bind to the target cells and the bead/cell complexes are pulled down using a magnet. The supernatant contains non-specific cells and debris which can be discarded, leaving only your pure target cells attached to the bead.
Cell separation using magnetic beads:
- Is a gentle, tube-based method
- Isolates high yields of pure, viable, and functional cells
- Preserves the cells’ native characteristics
Human positive cell isolation kits
| Positive cell isolation kits available for human cells target the following cell surface markers: |
| Cell surface marker to target for isolation | Cell type targeted | Format(s) available |
|---|---|---|
| CD3 | Cytotoxic T cells and T helper cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD4 | T helper cells, regulatory T cells, and natural killer T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD8 | Cytotoxic T cells | FlowComp kit DETACHaBEAD kit |
| CD14 | Naive CD4+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD19 | Pan B cells | DETACHaBEAD kit |
| CD34 | Progenitor stem cells | DETACHaBEAD kit |
| CD4/CD25 | Regulatory CD4+ T cells | DETACHaBEAD kit |
| EPCAM | Epithelial cells | CELLection kit |
Mouse positive cell isolation kits
| Positive cell isolation kits available for mouse cells target the following cell surface markers: |
| Cell surface marker to target for isolation | Cell type targeted | Format(s) available |
|---|---|---|
| CD4 | Naive CD4+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD8 | Naive CD8+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD4/CD25 | Regulatory CD4+ T cells | FlowComp kit |
| CD90.2 | Pan T cells | FlowComp kit |
| Pan IgG | Depends on your antibody | CELLection kit |
Build-your-own positive cell isolation kit
Additional positive cell isolation kits are available to use for a wide range of species, with any antibody of your choice.
| Use with | Format available |
|---|---|
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species | FlowComp kit |
| Any biotinylated antibody targeting any cell type in any species | CELLection kit |
Negative cell isolation
Negative cell involves labeling unwanted cell types for removal. The unwanted cell types can be bound using magnetic beads coupled to antibodies or ligands that target specific cell surface proteins. The bound, unwanted cells can be depleted from the final isolated fraction by incubating the sample in a magnetic field, leaving desired unbound cells free floating in solution.
Negative cell isolation with Dynabeads magnetic beads
In negative cell isolation, Dynabeads magnetic beads are used to deplete all the unwanted cells using the supplied antibody mix. The target cells are left in the sample untouched and free of beads. The isolated target cells can be directly analyzed in a flow cytometer and used in any functional assay.
Negative cell separation using magnetic beads:
- Is a gentle, tube-based method
- Isolates high yields of pure, viable, and functional cells
- Preserves the cells’ native characteristics
Human negative cell isolation kits
| Negative cell isolation kits are available for human cells to target the following cell types: |
| Cell type targeted | Cell surface marker(s) to target for isolation | Format available |
|---|---|---|
| T helper cells, regulatory T cells, and natural killer T cells | CD4 | Untouched kit |
| Cytotoxic T cells | CD8 | Untouched kit |
| Dendritic cells (DCs) | CD3, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD56, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Monocytes | CD3, CD7, CD16 (a and b), CD19, CD56, CD123, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Pan B cells | CD2, CD14, CD16 (a and b), CD36, CD43, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Pan T cells | CD14, CD16 (a and b), CD19, CD36, CD56, CD123, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
| Natural killer (NK) cells | CD3, CD14, CD36, HLA Class II, CD123, and CD235a | Untouched kit |
Mouse negative cell isolation kits
| Negative cell isolation kits are available for mouse cells to target the following cell types: |
| Cell type targeted | Cell surface marker(s) to target for isolation | Format available |
|---|---|---|
| Naive CD4+ T cells | CD4 | Untouched kit |
| Naive CD8+ T cells | CD8 | Untouched kit |
| Dendritic cells (DCs) | CD2, CD3ε, CD49b, mIgM, and Ter-119 | Dynabeads kit |
| Pan B cells | CD43 | Dynabeads kit |
| Pan T cells | CD11b, CD16/32, CD45R, and Ter-119 | Untouched kit |
Cell depletion with Dynabeads magnetic beads
Cell depletion is aided by cell separation steps using magnetic beads. Cell depletion using magnetic beads involves selectively removing specific unwanted cells from a mixed population by using magnetic beads coupled with antibodies or ligands targeting specific cell surface markers. Through exposure to a magnetic field, the bead-bound unwanted cells are separated and removed from sample, allowing the isolation of desired cell populations for downstream characterization and analysis.
Human cell depletion kits
| Cell depletion kits are available to target specific human cell surface markers to deplete certain cell populations, which can be found in the table below. |
| Cell type to deplete | Cell surface marker(s) to target for depletion |
|---|---|
| T cells and natural killer (NK) cells | CD2 |
| Mature T cells | CD3 |
| T helper cells | CD4 |
| Cytotoxic T cells | CD8 |
| Monocytes | CD14 |
| Neutrophil and eosinophil granulocytes | CD15 |
| Pan B cells | CD19 |
| Regulatory T cells | CD25 |
| Endothelial cells | CD31 |
| Leukocytes | CD45 |
| Epithelial cells | EPCAM |
Mouse cell depletion kits
| Cell depletion kits are available to target specific mouse cell surface markers to deplete certain cell populations, which can be found in the table below. |
| Cell type to deplete | Cell surface marker(s) to target for depletion |
|---|---|
| CD4+ T cells | CD4 |
| CD8+ T cells | CD8 |
| Pan B cells | B220 |
| Pan T cells | Thy1.2 |
Build-your-own negative cell depletion kit
Additional cell depletion kits are available to use for a wide range of species, with any antibody of your choice.
| Use with | Format available |
|---|---|
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species (except rat) | Sheep Anti-Rat IgG |
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species (except mouse) | Pan Mouse IgG |
| Any antibody targeting any cell type in any species | Biotin Binder |
To refine for a particular cell type, you can simply add extra antibodies to the antibody mix. With the secondary antibody-coated Dynabeads sheep anti-rabbit IgG and sheep anti-mouse IgG you can create your own negative isolation kit for isolation of any cells from any species.
You can also use the positively targeted and bead-bound cells for other downstream molecular applications that do not require release of cells.
In contrast to column-based systems, FlowComp technology lets you isolate bead-free cells directly from human whole blood, buffy coat, or from mouse/human mononuclear cells (MNCs). Following separation, the beads are immediately released and removed, helping ensure the least possible interaction with your cells. Isolated bead-free cells are then ready for use in any downstream application, including flow cytometry. Get high cell recovery, viability, and purity using FlowComp kits and markers.
| Ligand | Product | Protocol description | Strategy | Download file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cells | CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD19 | Positive cell isolation for downstream nucleic acid, protein analysis, or cell depletion | Indirect | Duo Prime |
| Cells | CD3, CD4, CD8 | Positive cell isolation for downstream cellular applications, such as T cell activation | Indirect | Duo Prime |
See other Dynabeads magnetic beads protocols for KingFisher instruments
KingFisher instruments automate the isolation of DNA, RNA, proteins, exosomes, viruses, and cells. KingFisher instruments help eliminate cross contamination, produce reproducible results, and cut your hands-on time down to 40 minutes. Set up plates, press start, and walk away.
Learn more about KingFisher instruments for automated protocols
Cell isolation related content
Literature
Videos on cell isolation
Video: The two worlds of cell isolation
Video: Uptake and intracellular accumulation of Miltenyi MicroBeads in human CD3+ T cells
Publications citing Dynabeads magnetic beads for cell isolation
- Shoukry NH., Sidney J., Sette A., et al. (2004) Conserved hierarchy of helper T cell responses in a chimpanzee during primary and secondary Hepatitis C virus infections. J Immunol 172(1):483–492.
- Mackay GA., Liu Z., Singh DK., et al. (2004) Protection against late-onset AIDS in macaques prophylactically immunized with a live simian HIV vaccine was dependent on persistence of the vaccine virus. J Immunol 173(6):4100–4107.
- Zhao H., Laitala-Leinonen T., Parikka V., et al. (2001) Downregulation of small GTPase Rab7 impairs osteoclast polarization and bone resorption. J Biol Chem 276(42):39295–39302.
View publications on Dynabeads Streptavidin magnetic beads
View publications on Dynabeads magnetic beads for immunoprecipitation
For simpler, faster, and significant cost savings compared to traditional column-based separation methods, use MagniSort technology to obtain enriched T cells, B cells, and NK cells.
Learn more about MagniSort magnetic cell separation technology
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.