Patent ID: 8796040

Claim:
A method of quantitatively determining a target biomolecule in flow cytometry, comprising the steps of: providing plural kinds of target biomolecules, wherein the target biomolecules are labeled with fluorescence A for quantitative determination of the target biomolecules; providing plural kinds of different fluorescent silica particles having an average diameter of 300 nm to 1200 nm, wherein the different fluorescent silica particles are optionally substantially uniform in particle diameter, wherein each kind of fluorescent silica particles is capable of emitting individual fluorescence B, detectable by a flow cytometer, each of the plural kinds of silica particles having dyes different in kinds and/or ratios differing in fluorescence emission spectrum and/or having a fluorescence intensity in plural phases, wherein fluorescence A emits fluorescence at a different wavelength from fluorescence B emitted by each of the fluorescent silica particles; wherein each kind of the fluorescent silica particles is surface-coated with a binding substance capable of distinguishably immobilizing each kind of the fluorescence A labeled target biomolecules; immobilizing each kind of the fluorescence A labeled target biomolecules on the surface of the corresponding kind of fluorescent silica particles via the binding substance; and distinguishably detecting signals from each one of the individual plural kinds of fluorescent silica particles emitting fluorescence B, and detecting an intensity of the fluorescence A from each kind of the labeled target biomolecules, to determine a quantity of each kind of target biomolecule, by using the flow cytometer.