Dyes and Fluorophores 

Wheat germ agglutinin binds specifically to N-acetylglucosamine in the peptidoglycan layer of gram-positive bacteria. The Live Bacterial Gram Stain Kit contains wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) conjugated to CF™594 to stain the surface of gram-positive cells with red fluorescence. CF™594 is spectrally similar to Texas Red®, but with brighter fluorescence. The kit also includes DAPI to stain the DNA of all bacteria with blue fluorescence. Gram-positive bacteria stained using this kit will show a fluorescent blue interior and fluorescent red cell surface, while gram-negative bacterial will be stained with blue fluorescence only.