Table 1.

Comparison of methods for examining cellular accumulation

Method	Advantages	Disadvantages
ICP-MS, AAS	Applicable to non-luminescent complexes Quantitative (mean metal content per cell or per mg protein)	Low throughput Cannot distinguish surface-bound vs. internalized Sample is degraded
Flow cytometry	High throughput Semi-quantitative Provides population distribution of luminescence intensity Can distinguish live vs. dead cells	Limited to luminescent complexes Cannot distinguish surface-bound vs. internalized
Confocal microscopy	Provides subcellular localization Real-time monitoring in situ Can distinguish live vs. dead cells	Limited to luminescent complexes Low throughput