Invitrogen Alexa Fluor 488 dye is a bright, green-fluorescent dye with excitation ideally suited to the 488 nm laser line. For stable signal generation in imaging and flow cytometry, Alexa Fluor 488 dye is pH-insensitive over a wide molar range.

Probes with high fluorescence quantum yield and high photostability allow detection of low-abundance biological structures with great sensitivity. Alexa Fluor 488 dye molecules can be attached to proteins at high molar ratios without significant self-quenching, enabling brighter conjugates and more sensitive detection.

We offer Alexa Fluor 488 dye conjugated to a variety of antibodies, peptides, proteins, tracers, and amplification substrates optimized for cellular labeling and detection. In addition, reactive dye forms and protein labeling kits are available to allow you to generate your own antibody conjugates or probes.

Alexa Fluor 488 dye dashboard


Initial brightness
 
 
 
 
 
The brightest and most photostable green dye for sensitive detection in live or fixed cells; commonly used with Alexa Fluor 350, 594, and 647 dyes for multiplexing. It is used in stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM)—as an activator in nSTORM and a reporter in dSTORM. It is also used extensively to label conjugates for SIM, STED, and two-photon excitation (TPE) microscopy.  
   

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Photostability in antifade
 
 
 
 
 
   

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  488 FITC 490 525  
 
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The actin cytoskeleton of this muntjack fibroblast was visualized using the green-fluorescent Alexa Fluor 488 Phalloidin, and the nucleus was stained with TO-PRO-3 reagent.

Alexa Fluor 488 reactive dyes

Select dye-labeling chemistries for conjugation with the following reactive groups: 

Amine Thiol Aldehyde, ketone, carboxylate, or phosphate Click reaction

Alexa Fluor 488 protein/antibody labeling kits

Select an optimized labeling kit for your target antibody or protein:

Target protein Kit Cat. No.
Site-specific antibody labeling
<1–20 µg mouse IgG1 Zenon Alexa Fluor 488 Mouse IgG1 Labeling Kit Z25002
<1–20 µg mouse IgG2a Zenon Alexa Fluor 488 Mouse IgG2a Labeling Kit Z25102
<1–20 µg mouse IgG2b Zenon Alexa Fluor 488 Mouse IgG2b Labeling Kit Z25202
<1–20 µg human IgG Zenon Alexa Fluor 488 Human IgG Labeling Kit Z25402
<1–20 µg rabbit IgG Zenon Alexa Fluor 488 Rabbit IgG Labeling Kit Z25302
Conventional antibody/protein labeling
10–20 µg antibody APEX Alexa Fluor 488 Antibody Labeling Kit A10468
20–100 µg antibody/protein Alexa Fluor 488 Microscale Antibody/Protein Labeling Kit A30006
100 µg antibody/protein Alexa Fluor 488 Antibody/Protein Labeling Kit A20181
1 mg antibody/protein Alexa Fluor 488 Antibody/Protein Labeling Kit A10235

Alexa Fluor dye family

Illuminating research for over 15 years

Alexa Fluor® dyesAlexa Fluor dyes are among the most trusted fluorescent dyes available today. In addition to superior performance, you’ll get a technical support team experienced in problem-solving, >50,000 published references, application and experimental tips, and protocols to help with experimental planning. For an outstanding research experience, choose Alexa Fluor dyes.

 

Resources

Molecular Probes Handbook

The significantly revised 11th Edition is the most complete fluorescence labeling and detection reference available. The Molecular Probes Handbook can help you achieve the best experimental results for your fluorescence labeling and detection experiments. View the handbook online or order your own copy.

Go to the Handbook online
Order your copy of the Handbook

Antifade reagents

Antifade reagents suppress photobleaching and preserve the signals of your fluorescently labeled target molecules. They offer excellent compatibility with a multitude of dyes across the spectrum, making them especially valuable tools for multicolor applications. For added convenience, some formulations include the nuclear counterstain DAPI, eliminating the need for a separate counterstaining step.

See the performance of this dye in SlowFade Antifade reagents
See the performance of this dye in ProLong Antifade reagents

Cell stain tool

Stain your own cell by using our simulation tool to develop reproducible results with many of our signature fluorescent dyes. Develop your multiplexing strategy for antibody probes, reactive dyes, and counterstains to create your perfectly labeled fluorescent cell.

Go to the cell stain tool

Fluorescence SpectraViewer

Plot and compare spectra and check the spectral compatibility for common fluorophores including all of the fluorescent probes from Thermo Fisher Scientific. The Fluorescence SpectraViewer tool is formatted for both microscope imaging and flow cytometry applications.

Go to the Fluorescence SpectraViewer

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.