2 ReadyProbes dropper bottles next to product box.

The easiest way to image your cells

Molecular Probes ReadyProbes reagents are ready-to-use imaging solutions designed to allow you to stain cells with:

  • No calculations
  • No dilutions
  • No pipetting

Reach for the convenient dropper bottle, add 2 drops per milliliter of your cell suspension, and you're ready to image. ReadyProbes reagents address your most common imaging needs, including nuclear and cytoskeletal staining, and analyses for cell viability and apoptosis. In addition, we’ve formulated some of our most popular secondary antibodies for use straight from the dropper bottle. We’ve also developed ReadyProbes imaging accessories to help you get great results from your staining protocol.

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      ReadyProbes Cell Stains

      With each ReadyProbes reagent, you can follow the icon-based protocol to obtain quick and easy results for a common imaging application. ReadyProbes cell stains can remain on the bench within arm’s reach of your microscope. Add 2 drops per milliliter of solution, and you're ready for the next step in your experiment.

      Microscopic view of a cell showing actin stained red and the nucleus stained blue

      HeLa cells labeled with NucBlue Live ReadyProbes Reagent and ActinRed 555 ReadyProbes Reagent

       
      NucBlue Live ReadyProbes Reagent
      NucRed Live 647 ReadyProbes Reagent
      NucBlue Fixed Cell ReadyProbes Reagent
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for nucleic acids; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      High-efficiency staining of both RNA and DNA
      Common filter set
      DAPI
      Cy5
      DAPI
      Ex/Em (nm)
      358/461
      638/686
      360/460
      Signal-to-noise ratio
      Photostability
      Live cells
      Yes
      Yes
      No
      Fixed cells
      Yes
      Yes
      Yes
      Fixable
      Yes
      Yes
      NA
      Format
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      Cat. No.
      R37605
      R37106
      R37606

      See more nuclear staining reagents

       
      ActinGreen 488 ReadyProbes Reagent
      ActinRed 555 ReadyProbes Reagent
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for actin; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      High-affinity staining of F-actin
      Common filter set
      FITC
      TRITC
      Ex/Em (nm)
      495/518
      555/565
      Signal-to-noise ratio
      Photostability
      Live cells
      No
      No
      Fixed cells
      Yes
      Yes
      Fixable
      NA
      NA
      Platforms
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Format
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      Cat. No.
      R37110
      R37112

      See more actin staining reagents

       
      NucGreen Dead 488 ReadyProbes Reagent
      NucRed Dead 647 ReadyProbes Reagent
      ReadyProbes Cell Viability Imaging Kit (Blue/Green)
      ReadyProbes Cell Viability Imaging Kit (Blue/Red)
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for viability; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      Single-color assays detect dead cells
      Two-color assays detect dead cells and total cells
      Dead cells stain green
      Dead cells stain red
      Dead cells stain green, live cells appear blue
      Dead cells stain red, total cells appear blue
      Fluorescent label
      DNA stain
      DNA stain
      DNA stain
      Propidium iodide
      Hoechst 33342
      Hoechst 33342
      Standard filter set
      FITC
      Cy®5
      FITC
      TRITC/RFP
      DAPI
      DAPI
      Ex/Em (nm)
      504/523
      642/661
      504/523
      535/617
      360/460
      360/460
      Platforms
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Format
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      Cat. No.
      R37109
      R37113
      R37609
      R37610

      See more cell viability stains

       
      CellEvent Caspase-3/7 Green ReadyProbes Reagent
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for apoptosis; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      Fluorescence intensity increases with caspase 3/7 activity
      Common filter set
      FITC
      Ex/Em (nm)
      502/530
      Live cells
      Yes
      Fixed cells
      No
      Fixable
      Yes
      Platforms
      Imaging
      Format
      1 x dropper bottle
      Cat. No.
      R37111

      See more apoptosis stains

       
      NucBlue Live ReadyProbes Reagent
      NucRed Live 647 ReadyProbes Reagent
      NucBlue Fixed Cell ReadyProbes Reagent
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for nucleic acids; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      High-efficiency staining of both RNA and DNA
      Common filter set
      DAPI
      Cy5
      DAPI
      Ex/Em (nm)
      358/461
      638/686
      360/460
      Signal-to-noise ratio
      Photostability
      Live cells
      Yes
      Yes
      No
      Fixed cells
      Yes
      Yes
      Yes
      Fixable
      Yes
      Yes
      NA
      Format
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      Cat. No.
      R37605
      R37106
      R37606

      See more nuclear staining reagents

       
      ActinGreen 488 ReadyProbes Reagent
      ActinRed 555 ReadyProbes Reagent
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for actin; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      High-affinity staining of F-actin
      Common filter set
      FITC
      TRITC
      Ex/Em (nm)
      495/518
      555/565
      Signal-to-noise ratio
      Photostability
      Live cells
      No
      No
      Fixed cells
      Yes
      Yes
      Fixable
      NA
      NA
      Platforms
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Format
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      Cat. No.
      R37110
      R37112

      See more actin staining reagents

       
      NucGreen Dead 488 ReadyProbes Reagent
      NucRed Dead 647 ReadyProbes Reagent
      ReadyProbes Cell Viability Imaging Kit (Blue/Green)
      ReadyProbes Cell Viability Imaging Kit (Blue/Red)
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for viability; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      Single-color assays detect dead cells
      Two-color assays detect dead cells and total cells
      Dead cells stain green
      Dead cells stain red
      Dead cells stain green, live cells appear blue
      Dead cells stain red, total cells appear blue
      Fluorescent label
      DNA stain
      DNA stain
      DNA stain
      Propidium iodide
      Hoechst 33342
      Hoechst 33342
      Standard filter set
      FITC
      Cy®5
      FITC
      TRITC/RFP
      DAPI
      DAPI
      Ex/Em (nm)
      504/523
      642/661
      504/523
      535/617
      360/460
      360/460
      Platforms
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Imaging
      Format
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      6 x dropper bottles
      Cat. No.
      R37109
      R37113
      R37609
      R37610

      See more cell viability stains

       
      CellEvent Caspase-3/7 Green ReadyProbes Reagent
      Readout
      The easiest fluorescent staining method for apoptosis; no calculations, no dilutions, no pipetting
      Target
      Fluorescence intensity increases with caspase 3/7 activity
      Common filter set
      FITC
      Ex/Em (nm)
      502/530
      Live cells
      Yes
      Fixed cells
      No
      Fixable
      Yes
      Platforms
      Imaging
      Format
      1 x dropper bottle
      Cat. No.
      R37111

      See more apoptosis stains


      ReadyProbes Secondary Antibodies

      ReadyProbes secondary antibodies are conjugated with bright and photostable Alexa Fluor 488 and Alexa Fluor 594 dyes to offer convenient and robust labeling. These Alexa Fluor secondary antibodies recognize IgG heavy chains and all classes of immunoglobulin light chains from either mouse or rabbit. Like other ReadyProbes reagents, these secondary antibodies are provided in a convenient dropper bottle format. No pipetting or dilutions are required. Just add 2 drops per milliliter of buffer to stain your cells, and follow the icon-based protocol.

      Microscopic view showing a group of fluorescently stained cells, demonstrating the multiplex capabilities of a ReadyProbes secondary antibody with other secondary antibodies and cell stains.
      CAKI cell peroxisomes labeled using a rabbit anti-PMP70 antibody, followed by detection with Alexa Fluor 488 Goat Anti–Rabbit IgG Antibody ReadyProbes Reagent.
       
      Alexa Fluor 488
      Alexa Fluor 594
      Common filter
      FITC
      Texas Red
      Ex/Em (nm)
      495/518
      590/617
      Donkey anti-mouse IgG antibody conjugate
      Goat anti-rabbit IgG antibody conjugate
      Donkey anti-rabbit IgG antibody conjugate
      Goat anti-mouse IgG antibody conjugate

      See moresecondary antibodies


      ReadyProbes sample preparation accessories

      Imaging accessories makes it easier to handle cell or tissue samples and to prepare for staining and imaging workflow.

      Microscopic view of a few fluorescently stained cells that were treated with the ReadyProbes fixation/permeabilization reagent and then labeled with 3 different cell stains.
      HeLa cells fixed and permeabilized using the Image-iT Fixation/Permeabilization Kit.

      Image-iT fixation and permeabilization Kits

      Image-iT fixative and permeabilization solutions and kits are ready-to-go solutions for fluorescence imaging. These reagents are manufactured from high quality ingredients, which helps minimize autofluorescence artifacts. These reagents are also free from impurities, such as methanol, which can interfere with cell/tissue morphology. No more need to handle toxic powders or hard-to-mix reagents, these reagents are designed for all fluorophores, including as Alexa Fluor dyes, FITC, TRITC, GFP and mCherry.

      General blockers

      General blockers are used in workflows such as, immunocytochemistry (ICC), immunohistochemistry (IHC), or in-situ hybridization (ISH) to help reduce off-target binding of antibodies and other probes/indicators. ReadyProbes blockers are generated with high quality ingredients to help minimize autofluorescence artifacts caused by substandard ingredients. Use these reagents after fixative step but before primary or secondary antibody incubations.

      Specific blockers

      In fluorescence imaging, reagent and specimen interactions can cause background fluorescence artifacts and non-specific signals. To address these issues, we’ve developed specialized blockers to help minimize these artifacts, so the specific signal can be observed.

      Staining/background issueProbable causeSolutionCat. No.
      Tissues have background, non-specific fluorescence before adding any fluorophore conjugated reagent to the cells/tissue.Many tissue types, and some cells have endogenous autofluorescenceReadyProbes Tissue Autofluorescence Quenching KitR37630
      Nonspecific signal when adding fluorophore conjugated secondary antibody (without primary antibody)Static charge on fluorophore-conjugated secondary antibody is causing non-target stainingImage-iT FX Signal Enhancer ReadyProbes ReagentR37107
      Non-specific signal when mouse-originating antibodies are used on mouse tissueMouse-originating antibodies target non-specific targets in mouse tissueReadyProbes Mouse-on-Mouse IgG Blocking Solution (30X)R37621
      Adding reaction buffer, without HRP/AP–conjugated antibody generates non-specific signalMany tissue/cells have endogenous peroxidase and/or phosphatase activityReadyProbes Endogenous HRP and AP Blocking Solution (1X)R37629
      Adding fluorophore conjugated avidin and/or biotin generates non-specific signalMany tissue/cells have endogenous avidin and/or biotin, or similar molecules.ReadyProbes Avidin/Biotin Blocking Solution (1X)R37627
      Adding fluorophore conjugated streptavidin and/or biotin generates non-specific signalMany tissue/cells have endogenous avidin and/or biotin, or similar molecules.ReadyProbes Streptavidin/Biotin Blocking Solution (1X)R37628

      For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.