Table 3.

Advantages and Limitations of Proposed Technique

Advantages:	Limitations:
Generally applicable to different materials, as long as they can be efficiently labeled with fluorophore	Requires fluorescent labeling: Fluorescence may change upon internalization and fluorophore may alter uptake
Combines high throughput data on adsorption+internalization with quantitative internalization data	Sensitivity for smaller particles is lower
Allows for comparison of data from different labs if a standard particle is defined that is run alongside in parallel	Requires combination of three techniques: flow cytometry, fluorometry and confocal microscopy
Qualitative observations of aggregation phenomena in same assay
No assumptions made on intracellular distribution
Visual confirmation by high resolution microscopy technique