StarBright Dyes

Narrow Excitation and Emission

Narrow emission spectra to minimize spillover and reduced excitation by other common laser lines make StarBright Dyes an ideal choice for inclusion in multicolor panels. Use our Spectraviewer to find the right StarBright Dye for your experiment.

Fig. 2. Examples of improved spectral characteristics of StarBright Dyes. Reduced excitation of StarBright Blue 700 Dye, compared with PerCP-Cy5.5 (red circle), and reduced excitation by the 355 nm laser with narrow emission for StarBright Violet 515 Dye, compared to Brilliant Violet 510 (blue circles).

Flexible to Work in All Buffers

StarBright Dyes have no drop in performance regardless of the staining buffer, and do not require a special staining buffer when multiplexing with each other. However, if special buffers are required due to the presence of multiple polymer dyes in your panel, the flexibility of StarBright Dyes means you will still achieve bright, reliable staining.

Fig. 3. Examples of staining of human peripheral blood in different buffers. A, no change in CD4 staining (MCA1267SBV670) is observed, regardless of the buffer. B, StarBright Dyes, in this case CD4SBV790 (MCA1267SBV790), work well in both Bio-Rad Staining Buffer or Brilliant Staining Buffer with one Brilliant Violet Dye. Data generated on the ZE5 Cell Analyzer.

Compatible with All Instruments and Reagents

Designed for multiplexing using the ZE5 Cell Analyzer, StarBright Dyes are suitable for cell analysis or cell sorting on any instrument with the appropriate lasers and filters. StarBright Dyes are compatible with all fluorescently-labeled antibodies and can even be added to premixed cocktails without the need for experimental changes. Furthermore, their unique spectra make them ideal for incorporating into spectral flow cytometry panels with novel dye combinations now possible.

Below are thumbnails of posters which show examples of high parameter panels in conventional and full spectrum flow cytometry. These, along with other useful flow cytometry posters, can be downloaded for your own use.

The Use of New StarBright Dyes in Spectral Flow Cytometry

27-color spectral panel built using StarBright Dyes and a spectral flow cytometer.

Introducing StarBright Dyes, Novel Ultra Violet, Violet, and Blue Laser Excitable Fluorescent Nanoparticles Suitable for Immunophenotyping in Flow Cytometry

18-color panel built using StarBright Dyes and the ZE5 Cell Analyzer.

View and Download These Useful Posters

Consistent Staining

Designed with minimum lot-to-lot variability, StarBright Dyes give the same level of staining and population identification regardless of the batch. Unlike some polymer and other dyes, they are not traditional tandem dyes and therefore exhibit less cross-laser excitation, emitted by the donor and acceptors in tandem dyes, due to insufficient FRET. They are resistant to photobleaching, stable without loss of performance over time, and can be fixed in paraformaldehyde or alcohol-based fixatives with no drop in signal or change in their spectral characteristics. Conveniently, they can even be premixed for up to 28 days without loss of performance for use at a later date. To help you get consistently reproducible results, refer to the StarBright Dyes staining protocol.

Fig. 4. StarBright Dyes — consistent, stable, and fixable. StarBright Dyes show consistent results regardless of the lot. A, multiple batches were used to stain peripheral blood mononuclear cells with CD4SBV515 (MCA1267SBV515), and the results overlaid on a histogram. Dotted line is CD4BV510 for comparison. B, CD14SBV610 (MCA1568SBV610) was left at room temperature in the dark or in the light for up to 14 days prior to staining human peripheral blood, and the staining compared to antibody stored correctly in the fridge. A reduction in staining was only seen after 14 days storage at room temperature in the light. C, fixation in Bio-Rad Fixation Buffer or 2% PFA in PBS has no effect on the stain index compared to freshly stained samples. Data generated on the ZE5 Cell Analyzer.

On Common Immunophenotyping Targets

StarBright Dyes are available directly conjugated to antibodies validated for flow cytometry to detect human and mouse targets, and streptavidin for binding to biotinylated antibodies. These antibodies are well-known clones which are highly cited, giving you confidence in your experiments.

Fig. 5. Examples of staining of common immunophenotyping markers using StarBright Dyes. Human peripheral blood was stained for CD3 (MCA463SBUV400), CD19 (MCA1940SBUV605), CD4 (MCA1267SBUV510), CD8 (MCA1226SBV710), CD25 (MCA2127SBV440), and CD127 (HCA145A647) to identify B and T lymphocytes and T helper, T cytotoxic cells, and T regulatory cells within the T cell population. Classical, intermediate, and nonclassical monocytes were identified using CD14 (MCA16568SBV790) and CD16 (MCA2537A700). Further characterization of the T helper cells was obtained from CD45RA (MCA88SBV515) and CD45RO (MCA461SBV610) to identify naïve and memory cells, and the co-stimulation marker expression on T regulatory cells was measured by CD27 (MCA755SBV670) and CD28 (MCA709SBUV575) levels. Data generated on the ZE5 Cell Analyzer.