ATTO 647N DOPE

ATTO 647N DOPE is a lipid-conjugated ATTO 647N fluorophore (DOPE = dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine) designed for membrane-incorporating fluorescence labeling. Its strong red emission supports high-contrast imaging of lipid environments, while the hydrophobic DOPE anchor enables incorporation into model membranes and cell membranes for fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry workflows.

1. Membrane Labeling Studies

ATTO 647N DOPE is frequently used to label lipid bilayers in supported lipid bilayers, liposomes, and other membrane-mimetic systems, enabling visualization of membrane organization and lipid mixing during biophysical experiments. Researchers incorporate the DOPE conjugate into lipid formulations to generate stable, membrane-associated fluorescent probes that report on membrane location rather than protein-specific binding. This makes the reagent a practical choice for studies of membrane dynamics, lipid domain behavior, and membrane-active formulation screening using fluorescence microscopes equipped for far-red detection.

2. Live-Cell Membrane Imaging

ATTO 647N DOPE supports cellular fluorescence imaging workflows where membrane labeling is required without requiring genetic modification or covalent targeting of specific proteins. Because the DOPE lipid moiety partitions into lipid bilayers, the dye is commonly used to track cell-surface and membrane-associated processes in microscopy experiments that monitor spatial changes over time. Typical users include cell biology and chemical biology laboratories developing membrane-interacting assays, validating membrane permeability effects, or comparing membrane behavior across experimental conditions using consistent red-channel labeling.

3. Liposome and Nanoparticle Tracing

ATTO 647N DOPE is widely applied to fluorescently tag liposomes and lipid-based nanoparticles for tracking in uptake, binding, and trafficking experiments. In these workflows, the DOPE anchor provides robust association with lipid carriers, allowing researchers to follow particle-membrane interactions and relative localization using standard fluorescence imaging setups. The far-red ATTO 647N signal is particularly useful for multiplexed experiments where spectral separation from green and orange fluorophores is needed, supporting membrane-associated readouts in formulation and delivery research.

4. Flow Cytometry Lipid Probing

ATTO 647N DOPE is used as a membrane dye in flow cytometry to quantify relative membrane labeling intensity across cell populations. Laboratories often stain cells with the lipid-conjugated probe to monitor membrane-related changes such as altered lipid composition or membrane-associated binding of lipid formulations, while maintaining a consistent labeling chemistry that does not rely on antibody conjugation. The red fluorescence output is compatible with common cytometer configurations that include far-red detection channels, enabling population-level comparisons in screening and method-development studies.