FACS
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Fellow of the American College of Surgeons |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Medical, Science & Engineering |
FACS has two meanings. It stands for Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (healthcare credential) or Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (biology).
Meanings of FACS at a glance
| # | FACS stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fellow of the American College of Surgeons | Medical › Healthcare Credential |
| 2 | Fluorescence-activated cell sorting | Science & Engineering › Biology |
1. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
Medical · Healthcare Credential Abbreviations
Designation for surgeons admitted to fellowship in the American College of Surgeons after meeting standards for training, board certification, ethics and surgical practice. It appears after the degree in surgeons' signatures.
Example: Dr. Morgan Hill, MD, FACS, general and trauma surgery.
The College was founded in 1913. Applicants generally need board certification and a period of practice after training. The ACS also runs the trauma center verification program and the ATLS course.
2. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting
Science & Engineering · Biology Abbreviations
Flow cytometry method that measures fluorescence on individual cells streaming past lasers and then physically sorts them into separate tubes by applying charge to droplets. FACS isolates specific cell populations, such as stem cells or antibody-producing B cells, for further study.
Example: Transfected cells expressing GFP were enriched by FACS before cloning.
Leonard Herzenberg's group at Stanford developed fluorescence-activated cell sorting in the late 1960s and early 1970s. FACS is a trademark of Becton, Dickinson and Company, though researchers commonly use "FACS" loosely for any flow cytometry analysis.
Related abbreviations
More healthcare credential abbreviations
- ENP – Emergency nurse practitioner
- FAAP – Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics
- FACEP – Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
- FACP – Fellow of the American College of Physicians
- FNP – Family nurse practitioner
- FNP-BC – Family Nurse Practitioner-Board Certified
- FNP-C – Family Nurse Practitioner-Certified
- FP-C – Certified Flight Paramedic
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More biology abbreviations
- ER – Endoplasmic reticulum
- ESC – Embryonic stem cell
- EtBr – Ethidium bromide
- ETC – Electron transport chain
- FAD – Flavin adenine dinucleotide
- FBS – Fetal bovine serum
- FITC – Fluorescein isothiocyanate
- GABA – Gamma-aminobutyric acid
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This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.