Neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation involves the release of DNA peppered with antimicrobial proteins and histones which can immobilize and kill pathogens. NETs are being increasingly recognized to be playing a key role in a wide range of diseases and conditions, with both beneficial and detrimental outcomes.

A major issue plaguing NET research is a lack of reliable, non-biased, and high-throughput techniques for quantification. I have developed a novel technique to identify and characterize NETs using imaging flow cytometry. This technique is able to discriminate not only NETs, but also cells undergoing nuclear decondensation (a precursor step before NET formation), DNA fragments, and other types of cell death. An image analysis algorithm was developed based on a set of image features which can be used to identify characteristics such as the presence or absence of extracellular DNA, and the loss of membrane permeability. This allows the automated quantification of cell types and removes any potential operator bias. NETs can be measured in vitro, but importantly can also be identified in whole blood samples, giving this approach potential clinical applications.