Flow Cytometry and Sorting Selection of Somatic Hybrids - Various laboratories are using techniques of flow cytometry and fluorescent activated cell sorting for analysis of plant protoplasts while maintaining their viability. These techniques have also been applied for sorting and selection of heterokaryons.

Galbraith et al. (1989) have described a universally applicable method for electronic sorting of heterokaryons formed by fusing the protoplasts of two parents labeled with different vital fluorescent dyes, such as rhodomine isothiocyanate and floreceine isothiocyanate.

The fused and unfused products are sorted in a "cell sorter" machine based on the presence or absence of fluorescence of both dyes in the fusion products.