All products have special prices for bulk purchase, please contact us for more details if required.

Cat. No.: ARLCI-2k (for 200-2000T)

Cat. No.: ARLCI-10k (for 1000-10000T)

Description

Antifade Reagent for Live Cell Imaging is a specialized anti-photobleaching reagent designed for live-cell fluorescence imaging. This product rapidly and effectively suppresses photobleaching and photodamage during live-cell fluorescence imaging, stabilizes fluorescent signals, and extends signal persistence, enabling high-quality, long-term real-time observation and imaging of live cells.

Photobleaching refers to the rapid decay of fluorescent signals caused by oxidative damage to fluorophores under excitation light irradiation. It severely impairs the detection of low-abundance targets as well as long-term dynamic monitoring applications including cell migration and organelle tracking. By scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as singlet oxygen and superoxide anions and interrupting oxidative chain reactions, this reagent mitigates damage to fluorescent molecules at the source and prolongs imaging duration.

Tailored exclusively for live-cell imaging, this product is compatible with multiple experimental platforms. It meets the imaging requirements of various fluorescence microscopes including wide-field and confocal systems. It sustains stable and reliable fluorescent signals for long-term dynamic live-cell studies, such as real-time tracking of organelle dynamics, continuous monitoring of cellular physiological processes, and detection of low-abundance targets, helping researchers acquire clear and reproducible imaging datasets.

This reagent features straightforward operation and outstanding anti-photobleaching performance. Formulated as a non-hardening solution, it eliminates the need for conventional mounting or complex preparation protocols. It can be used directly after dilution with no washing steps post-incubation, which effectively prevents the loss of fluorescent signals. It delivers anti-photobleaching protection for most common fluorescent probes utilized in live-cell imaging, including Hoechst 33342, mitochondrial tracking dyes (Mito-Tracker Green, Mito-Tracker Red CMXRos, Mito-Tracker Deep Red 633, etc.), and the mitochondrial membrane potential probe JC-1.

This product exhibits no cytotoxicity. Optimized formulation ensures that at effective anti-photobleaching concentrations, the reagent neither disrupts cellular osmotic balance nor inhibits cell proliferation, fully preserving cell viability and the integrity of cellular physiological functions.

Calculated based on a working anti-photobleaching reagent volume of 1 mL per well for 6-well plates, the small and medium-sized packs of this product support testing for 200 and 1,000 samples respectively. When using 96-well plates with 100 μL of working anti-photobleaching reagent per well, the small pack is sufficient for 2,000 samples and the medium pack for 10,000 samples.

Storage

Store at -20 °C protected from light; valid for 1 year. Longer-term storage is achievable at -80 °C. When stored at 4 °C away from light, the product remains functional for two weeks. It is recommended to aliquot appropriately upon first use to prevent repeated freeze-thaw cycles.

Precautions

• Assay buffer (imaging buffer) must be prepared separately, such as complete culture medium or isotonic buffer.
• The anti-photobleaching performance of this product varies across different fluorophores, and it cannot deliver effective protection for all fluorescent probes.
• This product may solidify and adhere to the bottom, side walls or cap of centrifuge tubes, or develop slight turbidity when stored at low temperatures including 4 °C or on ice. This is a normal phenomenon and does not impair its anti-photobleaching capacity. Thaw the product completely in a water bath at 20–25 °C and mix thoroughly: incubate for approximately 5 minutes if turbidity occurs, or use the shortest feasible incubation time for minor solidification. After the solution turns clear, briefly centrifuge to collect all liquid at the tube bottom prior to use.
• The optimal working concentration of this product varies depending on cell type and cellular tolerance, and can be adjusted within the range of 0.2–4×. Users should pre-test and optimize parameters including working concentration, cell seeding density, incubation temperature and duration according to their specific cell line.
• While this reagent slows photobleaching, samples should still be shielded from light as much as possible. The following measures can further mitigate photobleaching and extend fluorescent signal lifetime: turn on excitation light only during image acquisition; apply neutral density filters during scanning to reduce light exposure; select fluorophores with superior photostability for experiments.
• When co-incubated with fluorescent probes, this product may interfere with certain detection systems, particularly the signal intensity of ROS-related fluorescent probes. Moreover, high concentrations may alter cellular redox status and compromise probe responsiveness. Concentration optimization and control validation are strongly recommended before formal experiments.
• This product is for research use only by qualified professionals. It shall not be used for clinical diagnosis or therapy, food or pharmaceutical manufacturing, nor stored in residential premises.
• For personal safety and health, wear a lab coat and disposable nitrile gloves during all handling procedures.