The effective labeling of cells provides a powerful method for studying cellular events in a spatial and temporal context. AAT Bioquest Cell Explorer™ Fixable Dead Cell Staining kits are a set of tools used to label cells for fluorescence microscopic and flow cytometric investigations of cellular functions.

Cell Explorer™ Fixable Dead Cell Staining Kits employ cell components-reactive fluorescent stains to evaluate mammalian cell viability using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscope. In cells with compromised membranes, the stains react with cell components both in the cell interior and on the cell surface, yielding intense fluorescent staining. The proprietary stains used in the kits become more fluorescent upon binding to cellular components. These cell stains are not live cell-permeable. In viable cells, the stain's reactivity is restricted to the cell-surface components, resulting in less intense fluorescence. The difference in intensity between the live and dead cell populations is quite large, and the fluorescence intensity discrimination is completely preserved following formaldehyde fixation. Moreover, these stains use only one channel of a flow cytometer, making them compatible with multiparameter staining experiments for multiplexing applications.

The fluorescence signals of the stains used in the kits are pH-independent and quite photostable. The stains have much better water solubility, making the kits easier to use. Cell Explorer™ Fixable Dead Cell Staining Kits provide all the essential components with an optimized fixable dead cell staining protocol that requires minimal hands-on time.