Biotium, a leading supplier and inventor of fluorescent cellular probes for life science research, announces the release of new ExoBrite™ EV Membrane Staining Kits. These kits are designed for fluorescent staining of exosomes or extracellular vesicles (EVs) with little to no background. ExoBrite™ EV Membrane Stains are validated for flow cytometry, but also have potential applications in super-resolution imaging or other exosome detection platforms.

SEC-purified MCF-7-derived exosomes were stained with ExoBrite™ 490/515 EV Membrane Stain (right). Specific staining was seen, compared with the same stain in buffer (left). Exosomes were detected on a CytoFLEX LX flow cytometer in the FITC channel. Image Credit: Biotium

Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes, are increasingly studied for their roles in cell communication, and as potential targets for diagnostic and drug delivery applications. However, reliable staining of EV membranes has been hampered by challenges of dye aggregation, and the lack of bright and specific probes. ExoBrite™ EV Membrane Staining Kits were developed by Biotium scientists as an optimized solution that addresses the challenges of EV detection. The stains are suitable for both purified and bead-bound exosomes and can be combined with antibody staining for multi-parameter analysis.

Extracellular vesicle and exosome research is a fast-growing field for life science research. Yet the current probes available for EV detection require significant troubleshooting and have varying results depending on the sample type. We wanted to give scientists the tools to streamline their EV research, and spend more time making discoveries in this exciting field".

Alexis Madrid PhD, Principal Scientist, Biotium

Biotium also offers several other tools for EV detection, including antibodies specific for the exosome markers CD9, CD63, and CD81, as well as other membrane stains validated for EV detection by flow cytometry. The release of ExoBrite™ EV Membrane Staining Kits marks Biotium’s first product line developed specifically for EV and exosome research.

ExoBrite™ EV Membrane Staining Kits are available with 2-color options for the FITC or PE channels. More color options for blue and red channels are coming soon. The standard kit will offer 500 labeling reactions while the trial size kit will offer 100 labeling reactions.