Invitrogen™ FluoSpheres™ Polystyrene Microspheres, 1.0 μm, blue-green fluorescent (430/465), for tracer studies

Catalog No.	Quantity
F13080	5 mL

Catalog No. F13080 Supplier Invitrogen™ Supplier No. F13080

Description

Microspheres (also called latex beads or latex particles) are spherical particles in the colloidal size range that are formed from an amorphous polymer such as polystyrene.

Microspheres (also called latex beads or latex particles) are spherical particles in the colloidal size range that are formed from an amorphous polymer such as polystyrene. Our Molecular Probes™ FluoSpheres™ beads are manufactured using high-quality, ultraclean polystyrene and are loaded with a variety of our proprietary dyes to create intensely fluorescent beads that typically show little or no photobleaching, even when excited with the intense illumination required for fluorescence microscopy.

For tracking particles and cells, tracing fluid dynamics, discriminating the size dependence of uptake or transport in vivo, etc., we offer more concentrated, 0.04 μm diameter FluoSpheres™ microspheres preparations (5% solids) that lack the sodium azide preservative present in the majority of our FluoSpheres™ products. The 0.04μm particles are small enough to be microinjected or to be taken up by phagocytosis.

We also offer 1.0 μm FluoSpheres™ microsphere preparations that contain a much higher dye content than our other FluoSpheres™ products. This allows stronger signals to be generated using fewer microspheres per tracing experiment.

In many biological systems, the concentrated fluorescence and spherical shape of the FluoSpheres™ beads permit them to be detected against a relatively high but diffuse background fluorescence. Typically for these types of studies, the microspheres and the fluorescent dyes they contain are first extracted from the tissue sample, and then the fluorescence is quantified on a spectrofluorometer or fluorescence microplate reader. The use of fluorescent microspheres eliminates the radiation hazards and disposal hurdles associated with radiolabeled microspheres.

FluoSpheres™ Microsphere Specifications:
• Label (Ex/Em): Blue-green fluorescent (430/465)
• Nominal bead diameter: 1.0 μm
• Coupling surface: Carboxylate
• Solids: 2%

Characteristics of the Carboxylate Coupling Surface
Carboxylate-modified FluoSpheres™ beads have a high density of pendent carboxylic acids on their surface, making them suitable for covalent coupling of proteins and other amine-containing biomolecules using water-soluble carbodiimide reagents such as EDAC.

Choices for FluoSpheres™ Fluorescent Microspheres
In addition to microspheres for tracing, investigate our complete offering of fluorescent microspheres products. Among those products you’ll find beads with these variations:
• Ten fluorescent colors
• Ten nominal bead diameters: 0.02 μm, 0.04 μm, 0.1 μm, 0.2 μm, 0.5 μm, 1.0 μm, 2.0 μm, 4.0 μm, 10.0 μm, and 15.0 μm
• Four surface modifications for protein coupling: carboxylate, sulfate, aldehyde-sulfate, amine
• Microspheres that are additionally precoupled with streptavidin, NeutrAvidin, biotin, europium, and platinum

Choices for Unstained Microspheres
We also offer hundreds of choices for UltraClean™ surfactant-free microspheres for research and commercial applications.

We’ll Make a Custom Microsphere Product for You
We will prepare custom orders upon request. For example, FluoSpheres™ beads can be prepared with intensities that are lower than those of our regular selection, a desirable feature in some multicolor applications. Our custom conjugation service is efficient and confidential, and we stand by quality of our work. We are ISO 13485:2000 certified.

For Research Use Only. Not intended for animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use.

Specifications

• Concentration: 1 x 10¹⁰ beads/mL
• Content And Storage: Store in refrigerator (2–8°C) and protect from light.
• Color: Blue-Green
• Material: Polystyrene
• Product Type: Microsphere
• Product Line: FLUOSPHERES
• Quantity: 5 mL
• Shipping Condition: Room Temperature
• Surface Modification: Other Modification or Label
• Diameter (Metric): 1 μm

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I want to use fluorescent microspheres for blood tracing studies. What functional group should be on the surface?

We offer FluoSpheres fluorescent microspheres for tracer studies that are 1, 10 and 15 µm in diameter, with various wavelengths. If those sizes or available colors are not optimal for your application, then we recommend carboxylate-modified microspheres, which are available in a wide range of sizes and colors.

What is the warranty for FluoSpheres microspheres?

The warranty period for FluoSpheres microspheres is 1-year from the date of shipment.

After washing and centrifugation, there was only a very small pellet left of my microsphere beads and the solution was transparent. Why is this?

Centrifugation is not an effective way to collect smaller microspheres; many particles remain in the solution even if you can visualize a small pellet. For beads less than 1 µm in diameter, we recommend washing by either:

Cross-flow filtration, as these particles have a very high compression modulus and can withstand high g-forces without risk of harm or dialysis with a 500 kDa MWCO
Note: Microspheres greater than 1 µm in diameter can be centrifuged at 1,300 rpm.

I've had my microspheres for over a year, and I'm wondering if they're still good to use. What are some good ways to check their functionality?

Bacterial contamination is the most common cause of microspheres becoming unusable. Many of our particles are supplied with a low level of sodium azide to prevent bacterial contamination, but sometimes this can still occur. Bacterial contamination is best assessed by plating on appropriate growth medium and checking the plates after 72 hr.

I accidentally froze my microspheres; can I still use them?

Even brief freezing can cause irreversible aggregation and potential distortion of the bead shape. You should not use these microspheres.

My protein-coated microspheres appear to be non-specifically binding in my experimental system. Do you have a product that can help reduce these non-specific interactions?

Non-specific binding can often be relieved by a blocking solution, but microspheres seem to require a stronger blocking solution than those most commonly commercially available. Hence, we've developed the BlockAid Blocking Solution (Cat. No. B10710). This reagent is a protein-based blocking solution designed for use with FluoSpheres microspheres and TransFluoSpheres microspheres conjugated to biotin, streptavidin, NeutrAvidin biotin-binding protein, or other proteins. The BlockAid Blocking Solution has proven useful for reducing the nonspecific binding of protein-coated or other macromolecule-coated microspheres in a wide variety of flow cytometry, microscopy, and microarray applications.

What sort of sonication method should I use to disperse microsphere aggregates?

We recommend using a bath sonicator to disperse microsphere aggregates. Do not use a probe sonicator as this will damage the microspheres.

I sonicated my carboxylate-modified latex microspheres as recommended in the protocol, and I saw foaming in the solution. Should I be concerned?

The foaming is from Tween 20, which is present in the stock solution to help prevent aggregation. It is normal to see bubbles from this reagent.

My FluoSpheres polystyrene microspheres are aggregating; what can I do to remedy this problem?

Aggregation is usually reversible unless the beads were frozen. Sonicate the microspheres in a bath sonicator to disperse just prior to use. You can also add a small concentration of Tween 20 or Triton X-100 unless you are using the microspheres in a live-cell system. For protein-labeled microspheres like NeutrAvidin microspheres, you should use the gentlest method possible to disrupt aggregates to avoid disrupting the protein conformation. Please be aware that the smaller the microsphere diameter, the more likely it is that aggregation may occur.

Can I centrifuge my fluorescent microspheres?

Microspheres greater than 1 µm in diameter can be centrifuged at 1,300 rpm, but once pelleted they may not disperse readily or not at all. Centrifugation is not an effective way to collect smaller microspheres; for beads less than 1 µm in diameter, we recommend washing by either cross-flow filtration or dialysis with a 500 kDa MWCO.

Which microspheres should I use to measure regional blood flow? How do I perform these procedures?

We offer a variety of FluoSphere microspheres and kits specifically designed for blood flow determination; if the available colors and/or sizes do not suit your needs, we recommend using beads modified with carboxylate groups for blood flow determination applications. We give some basic usage guidelines in the FluoSpheres Fluorescent Micospheres for Tracer Studies product manual (https://tools.thermofisher.com/content/sfs/manuals/mp13080.pdf). Additionally, the University of Washington Seattle offers the Fluorescent Microsphere Resource Center (FMRC) website (http://fmrc.pulmcc.washington.edu/fmrc.shtml) with detailed applications manuals and references for using fluorescent microspheres to evaluate regional blood flow.

What microsphere product should I select to perform a point spread function?

Point spread functions will require a subresolution bead, and we have two different subresolution bead products that could be used for this purpose. TetraSpeck Microspheres, 0.1 µm (Cat. No. T7279), are single subresolution microspheres that are simultaneously stained with blue, green, orange, and dark red dyes. The PS-Speck Microscope Point Source Kit (Cat. No. P7220) consists of individually-stained blue, green, orange, and dark red fluorescent microspheres that are approximately 175 nm in diameter.

What sort of mounting media should I use for fluorescent polystyrene microspheres?

We recommend using a ProLong product or any other aqueous mounting media. You should avoid organic-based mountants such as toluene-based mounting media.

Are the FluoSpheres microspheres surfactant-free?

The FluoSpheres microspheres may have a trace amount of surfactant. Only IDC Latex beads with diameters greater than 100 nm are actually surfactant-free.

I want to put my microspheres in something besides water; how will they react in alcohol?

The stability in alcohol or water/alcohol mixtures is dependent on the alcohol chain length. The beads are fairly stable in 40% methanol, but they will dissolve much more readily in long chain alcohols. Prolonged storage of beads in an alcohol containing solution will tend to leach out the dye.

I noticed that many of your microsphere products have sodium azide present, but I can't have sodium azide in my application. How should I remove sodium azide from the microsphere solution?

We recommend using dialysis with a MWCO of approximately 500,000 to remove the sodium azide from the microsphere-containing buffer.

How many dye molecules are there in a single fluorescent microsphere?

We do not determine the exact number of dye molecules per microsphere. The number of dye molecules is a function of the diameter of the particle and the properties of the dye.

How do you label the FluoSpheres microspheres with dye?

The polystyrene microspheres are swelled in a solvent containing a hydrophobic dye specific to the FluoSpheres product. The dye is then able to diffuse into the polystyrene matrix. The beads are then removed from the solvent and dialyzed into an aqueous environment; this reverses the swelling and traps the dye in the polystyrene. Once trapped, the dye is fairly protected from the external environment. The exact protocol and identity of the hydrophobic dyes are proprietary.

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