What is SYPRO Ruby stain?

SYPRO Ruby Stain is a highly sensitive and versatile organometallic ruthenium chelate stain. This fluorescent stain is used to detect total proteins in 1D and 2D polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). SYPRO Ruby protein gel stain is a fluorescent compound with an excitation peak at 467 nm and an emission peak at 631 nm, giving it a fairly large Stokes' Shift of 164nm. It can be excited using a 488 nm laser paired with a 585/42 nm bandpass filter, a configuration that can be found, for example, in the BD FACSAria™ III. SYPRO Ruby protein gel stain is spectrally similar to Alexa Fluor 532, TF3 (Tide Fluor 3), HEX, Atto 532, and TRITC (Tetramethylrhodamine-isothiocyanate).

SYPRO Ruby Stain offers several advantages that make it the preferred option for the detection of proteins in 1D and 2D PAGE:

• Simple, easy, and quick staining protocol - can be completed within the hour.
• Specific for proteins - will not detect contaminating nucleic acids, making protein detecting easier.
• More sensitive than most silver staining techniques.
• Does not over-stain.
• Fully compatible with colorimetric, fluorogenic, and chemiluminescent detection techniques.
• Does not interfere with mass spectrometry.