Dead cell stains
Dead cell stains are membrane-impermeant dyes that are excluded by viable cells, but stain necrotic or late apoptotic cells with damaged plasma membranes. Many of our dead cell stains are fluorogenic nucleic acid dyes that only fluoresce when bound to DNA or RNA inside dead cells, eliminating the need to wash before detection. See our full selection of nuclear stains on our Cellular Stains Technology Page.
Most DNA binding dead-cell stains are not fixable, meaning that the dyes will diffuse from stained cells to unstained cells after fixation, resulting in lower signal and higher background. Our Live-or-Dye™ Fixable Viability Stains are membrane-impermeant reactive dyes that covalently label dead cells. While these stains require washing, the staining can withstand fixation and permeabilization for subsequent IF staining. They also are useful for excluding dead cells from flow cytometry analysis of cell surface staining. See our complete selection of Apoptosis & Viability Stains.
Live-or-Dye NucFix™ Red Staining Kit
A chemically-reactive, dead cell nuclear stain for mammalian cells, yeast, or gram-negative bacteria.
A chemically-reactive, dead cell nuclear stain for mammalian cells, yeast, or gram-negative bacteria.
Live-or-Dye™ Fixable Viability Staining Kits
Live-or-Dye™ Fixable Viability Staining Kits stain dead cells during flow cytometry to allow dead cells with permeable plasma membranes to be excluded from analysis.
Live-or-Dye™ Fixable Viability Staining Kits stain dead cells during flow cytometry to allow dead cells with permeable plasma membranes to be excluded from analysis.
NucSpot® 470 Nuclear Stain, 1000X in DMSO
NucSpot® 470 is cell membrane-impermeant, nuclear-specific green fluorescent DNA stain for the FITC channel.
NucSpot® 470 is cell membrane-impermeant, nuclear-specific green fluorescent DNA stain for the FITC channel.
RedDot™2 Far-Red Nuclear Stain
Far-red cell membrane-impermeant nuclear dye similar to Draq7™. Ideal for staining the nuclei of dead or fixed and permeabilized cells with minimal cytoplasmic RNA staining.
Far-red cell membrane-impermeant nuclear dye similar to Draq7™. Ideal for staining the nuclei of dead or fixed and permeabilized cells with minimal cytoplasmic RNA staining.
Ethidium Homodimer III (EthD-III)
A red fluorescent dead cell stain for bacteria and mammalian cells
A red fluorescent dead cell stain for bacteria and mammalian cells
Ethidium Homodimer III (EthD-III), 1 mM in DMSO
A red fluorescent dead cell stain for bacteria and mammalian cells
A red fluorescent dead cell stain for bacteria and mammalian cells
Oxazole Yellow, 1 mM in DMSO
Oxazole yellow, also know as YO-PRO-1, is a green-fluorescent, cell-impermeant nucleic acid stain with excitation/emission maxima of 491/509 nm when bound to nucleic acids. Oxazole yellow can be used as a early marker of apoptosis.
Oxazole yellow, also know as YO-PRO-1, is a green-fluorescent, cell-impermeant nucleic acid stain with excitation/emission maxima of 491/509 nm when bound to nucleic acids. Oxazole yellow can be used as a early marker of apoptosis.
Thiazole Red Homodimer, 1mM in DMSO
Thiazole red homodimer (TRhD), also know as TOTO®-3, is a cell-impermeant, high-affinity, far-red fluorogenic nucleic acid stain.
Thiazole red homodimer (TRhD), also know as TOTO®-3, is a cell-impermeant, high-affinity, far-red fluorogenic nucleic acid stain.
Thiazole Red, 1mM in DMSO
Thiazole red, also known as TO-PRO®-3, is a cell-impermeant, high-affinity far-red nucleic acid stain.
Thiazole red, also known as TO-PRO®-3, is a cell-impermeant, high-affinity far-red nucleic acid stain.
TO iodide (515/531), 1 mM in DMSO
TO iodide, also know as TO-PRO®-1, is a cell-impermeant, high-affinity carbocyanine monomeric nucleic acid stain that is essentially nonfluorescent in the absence of nucleic acids but exhibits green fluorescence when bound to nucleic acids.
TO iodide, also know as TO-PRO®-1, is a cell-impermeant, high-affinity carbocyanine monomeric nucleic acid stain that is essentially nonfluorescent in the absence of nucleic acids but exhibits green fluorescence when bound to nucleic acids.
Oxazole Blue, 1 mM in DMSO
Oxazole blue, also known as PO-PRO™-1, is a blue-fluorescent dead cell stain. This dye is a cell-impermeant nucleic acid stain with excitation/emission maxima of 435/455 nm when bound to nucleic acids.
Oxazole blue, also known as PO-PRO™-1, is a blue-fluorescent dead cell stain. This dye is a cell-impermeant nucleic acid stain with excitation/emission maxima of 435/455 nm when bound to nucleic acids.
7-AAD
7-AAD (7-aminoactinomycin D) is a fluorescent DNA binding dye that is membrane impermeant and therefore generally excluded from viable cells.
7-AAD (7-aminoactinomycin D) is a fluorescent DNA binding dye that is membrane impermeant and therefore generally excluded from viable cells.
NucSpot® Far-Red, 1000X in DMSO
An improved alternative to 7-AAD showing less bleed-through fluorescence in the PE-Texas Red® channel. Ideal for selective detection of dead cells by flow cytometry.
An improved alternative to 7-AAD showing less bleed-through fluorescence in the PE-Texas Red® channel. Ideal for selective detection of dead cells by flow cytometry.
Propidium Iodide (PI)
Propidium iodide (PI) is a membrane-impermeant nucleic acid intercalator. The dye is commonly used to selectively stain dead cells in a cell population and also used as a counterstain in multicolor fluorescent imaging.
Propidium iodide (PI) is a membrane-impermeant nucleic acid intercalator. The dye is commonly used to selectively stain dead cells in a cell population and also used as a counterstain in multicolor fluorescent imaging.