SYTOX™ Red dead cell stain is a simple and quantitative single-step dead-cell indicator for use with red laser-equipped flow cytometers. SYTOX™ Red dead cell stain is a high-affinity nucleic acid stain that easily penetrates cells with compromised plasma membranes but will not cross uncompromised cell membranes. After brief incubation with SYTOX™ Red stain, the nucleic acids of dead cells fluoresce bright red when excited with 633 or 635 nm red laser light. SYTOX™ Red dead cell stain is distinct from other dead cell probes like 7-AAD and PI, which are excited using 488 nm. The emission of SYTOX? Red stain is limited to one channel with minimal spectral overlap. This effectively frees all the channels of the 488 nm laser line. SYTOX™ Red dead cell stain is supplied as a 5 μM solution in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) in a unit size of 1 mL.

View a selection guide for all nonfixable viability dyes for flow cytometry.