Fluorescent Dyes for the Blue Laser

The table below lists the properties of the most commonly used fluorophores for the blue laser. To see a list of available conjugated antibodies to your fluorophore of interest, click on the fluorophore name in the table.

Blue Laser Fluorescent Dyes - 488 nm Excitation
Name Excitation (nm) Peak Emission (nm) Relative Intensity
(1 = Lowest,
5 = Highest)
Uses
FITC (Fluorescein Isothiocyanate) 488 518 3

Detected in FL1 channel on most instruments.

Also a good choice for fluorescence microscopy.

Useful in fluorescent microscopy applications.

Alexa Fluor® 488 488 519 3

Detected in FL1 channel on most instruments.

Photostable and pH dependent.

An excellent choice for fluorescence microscopy.

R-PE (R-Phycoerythrin) 488 578 5

Detected in FL2 channel on most instruments.

High quantum yield (ideal for detection of low density antigens).

Subject to photobleaching.

PE-Texas Red

(Not available from eBioscience)

488 615 3 Detected in FL3 on single laser instruments.

PE-Alexa Fluor® 610

(Not available from eBioscience)

488 628 3 This alternative to PE-Texas Red has less overlap with PE due to its 628nm emission wavelength and is less subject to Fc mediated binding than PE-Cy5.
PE-Cy5 488 667 4

Detected in FL3 or FL4 on most instruments.

Tandem dye, resonance energy transfer from PE molecule to the cyanine dye Cy5.

When used with APC on dual laser machines, needs a cytometer capable of interlaser compensation. See PE-Cy5.5 for dual laser instruments.

PE-Cy5.5

(Coming Soon!)

488 695 3 to 4

Detected in FL3 or FL4 on most instruments.

Tandem dye, resonance energy transfer from PE molecule to cyanine dye Cy5.5.

When used with APC on dual laser machines, needs a cytometer capable of interlaser compensation. Better choice for dual laser instruments than PE-Cy5.

PerCP-Cy5.5 488 695 3

Detected in FL3 or FL4 on most instruments.

Tandem dye, resonance energy transfer from PerCP molecule to cyanine dye Cy5.5.

When used with APC on dual laser machines, needs a cytometer capable of inter-laser compensation. Better choice for dual laser instruments than PE-tandems as a result of its large stokes shift.

PerCP-eFluor® 710 488 710 4

Detected in FL3 on most instruments.

Tandem dye, resonance energy transfer from PerCP molecule to eFluor® 710.

When used with APC on dual laser machines, needs a cytometer capable of inter-laser compensation. Better choice for dual laser instruments than PE-tandems as a result of its large stokes shift.

2-3 fold brighter than PerCP-Cy5.5.

PE-Cy7 488 785 3

Detected in channel with appropriate filter set arrangement for the instrument.

Tandem dye, resonance energy transfer from PE molecule to cyanine dye Cy7.

Minimal cross-beam compensation required when used simultaneously.

7-AAD 488 647 --

Detected in FL3 channel on most instruments.

Binds selectively to GC regions of DNA.

Used as a viability dye to discriminate between viable and non-viable cells.

Propidium Iodide (PI) 488 617
--

Detected in FL2 and FL3 channels on most instruments.

A DNA intercalating dye.

Used as a viability dye to discriminate between viable and nonviable cells.