Fixable Dyes Determine Viability of Cells by Flow Cytometry

Viobility Fixable Dyes from Miltenyi Biotec allow the swift discrimination between live and apoptotic or dead cells by flow cytometry.

The three dyes react with the primary amino groups of proteins and are optimized for various fluorescence channels. The dyes can permeate the weakened cell membranes of apoptotic and dead cells. The fluorescent staining of dead cells is therefore up to 50-fold brighter than on living cells. This makes it possible to measure the viability of a cell by using a flow cytometer, regardless of whether fixed or unfixed cells are analyzed. The dyes don’t have any toxic effects on living cells and show less spillover into other fluorescence channels. In addition, the dyes facilitate higher flexibility in the design of antibody panels because they are available for various excitation and emission wavelengths. All three dyes are available in quantities sufficient for 100 or 500 tests.