Nuclear Blue™ DCS1 *5 mM DMSO Solution*

Ex/Em = 355/458 nm (bound to DNA) 

Caution: The following protocol can be adapted for most cell types. Growth medium, cell density, the presence of other cell types, and factors may influence staining. Residual detergent on glassware may also affect the staining of many organisms and cause brightly stained material to appear in solutions with or without cells present.

1. Add Nuclear Blue™ DCS1 (2 to10 µM) into the fixed, dead or apoptotic cells (either suspension or adherent) and incubate the cells for 15 to 60 minutes.

   Note: In initial experiments, it is advisable to test a wide range of dye concentrations in order to determine the optimal concentration that yields the desired result.

2. Wash the cells twice with Hanks and 20 mM HEPES buffer (HBSS) or a buffer of your choice. Then fill the wells with fresh HBSS or growth medium.

3. Observe the cells using a fluorescence microscope, fluorescence microplate reader, or flow cytometer equipped with the desired filter set.