"DRAQ5"

PRODUCT:                  DRAQ5

Application Area:        Immunofluorescence microscopy

Ease of Use:              ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After Sales Service:    Not required

Value for Money:        ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Average rating:           4.5

Comments: DRAQ5 was used for live imaging of tumor tissue or cells with confocal microscope. It is a stable dye and not very toxic. It works well for our live imaging

Name: Meng Dong

Organisation: Dr. Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Germany

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Manufacturer's response: Dear Meng, thank you for your review of DRAQ5.  We appreciated the protocol you have developed to better recapitulate MCL biology in a 3D culture.  Thiel, et al. JoVE 223 (2025): e68417.

"Assay for Measuring Viability in presence of AP and PA by DRAQ7TM staining"

PRODUCT:                 DRAQ7

Application Area:        Flow Cytometry

Ease of Use:              ⭐⭐⭐⭐

After Sales Service:    Not required

Value for Money:        ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Average rating:           4.0

Comments: To test the effects APPA (10 µg/ml), AP (2.3 and 10 µg/ml) and PA (7.7 and 10 µg/ml) on T/C28a2 chondrocyte viability, DRAQ7TM (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) was used. Following 24 hours (h) of different treatments, cells were trypsinized and centrifuged at 1,500 rpm for 10 minutes (min). The harvested cells were suspended in 3 µM of the fluorescent dye DRAQ7TM (Thermo Fisher) and incubated in the dark, at room temperature (rt) for 10 min. The samples were run on CytoFLeX flow cytometer (Beckman Coulter Inc. Pasadena, Ca, USA). At least 1x104 cells per assay were measured. Data were analyzed using CyExpert V 2.5 software (Beckman Coulter Inc). Positive control cells were treated with 5 µM Eto plus 10 ng/µl OSM while negative control (Basal) represented cells without treatment.

Name: Mercedes Fernández Moreno

Organisation: INIBIC-GIR, Spain

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Manufacturer's response: Dear Mercedes, thank you for your review of DRAQ7.  We very much enjoyed your article, and the promising results to support further research on a pair of plant-derived phenolics to mitigate the impact of osteoarthritis. Fernández-Moreno, et al. Pharmaceuticals 18.9 (2025): 1386.

"Versatile and Reliable Nuclear Stain for FACS and Confocal Imaging"

PRODUCT:                  DRAQ5

Application Area:        Cell Sorting

Ease of Use:              ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After Sales Service:    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Value for Money:        ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Average rating:           4.7

Comments: We used Invitrogen™ eBioscience™ DRAQ5™ primarily as a far-red nuclear stain for both flow cytometry (FACS) and confocal microscopy applications. In flow cytometry, DRAQ5 provided rapid and uniform nuclear staining, enabling accurate discrimination of nucleated cells from debris. Its far-red emission allowed us to combine it with commonly used fluorophores such as FITC, PE, and APC, without significant spectral overlap, thus expanding our multicolor panel design.

For cell sorting, DRAQ5 proved particularly useful in identifying nucleated versus enucleated cells and facilitated precise gating strategies. The dye’s rapid uptake, even without permeabilization, made it highly suitable for live-cell analysis and sorting with minimal sample preparation.

In confocal microscopy, DRAQ5 provided sharp, high-contrast nuclear labeling with minimal photobleaching. Its far-red excitation minimized phototoxicity and avoided interference with green and red fluorophores, allowing us to perform multiplexed imaging of protein markers in both fixed and live-cell conditions.

Overall, DRAQ5 performed robustly across both platforms, delivering reproducible results and consistent staining quality. We selected it for its spectral properties, ease of integration into FACS workflows, and compatibility with confocal imaging, and it has become a reliable part of our staining toolkit.

Name: Rizwanul Haque

Organisation: Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

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Manufacturer's response: Dear Rizwanul, thank you so much for this comprehensive description of the rationale for your choice of DRAQ5.  As you rightly say this is one tool in a very big toolbox!