Ethidium Homodimer-1 (EthD-1) - FAQs

I am doing a Live/Dead assay using Calcein, AM, for live cells and ethidium homodimer-1 for dead cells. Can I fix the cells after labeling and retain the staining?

This is not recommended. Neither Calcein nor ethidium homodimer-1 bind to any cellular components upon fixation. There is no guarantee that the dyes will be retained upon fixation or any subsequent wash steps. We recommend scoring for live and dead cells as soon as possible after staining.

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