Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO | CAS 1782950-79-1

Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO is a Cy3-based, sulfonated fluorescent cyclooctyne reagent designed for strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) click chemistry. Its DBCO (dibenzocyclooctyne) handle enables rapid, catalyst-free conjugation to azide-bearing biomolecules, surfaces, and polymers under aqueous conditions. The bright, photostable Cy3 fluorophore and the hydrophilic sulfonate group make it well suited for labeling workflows where fluorescence readout and water compatibility are both required.

1. Live-Cell Imaging Labeling

Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO is widely used as a fluorescent SPAAC probe for labeling azide-functionalized biomolecules in cell biology workflows. Researchers employ it to visualize the spatial distribution of tagged proteins, glycans, or nucleic-acid derivatives introduced with azide groups, enabling microscopy-based tracking of biomolecular localization and trafficking. The sulfonated Cy3 scaffold supports aqueous handling and minimizes nonspecific hydrophobic interactions, which is advantageous for imaging experiments that rely on consistent background control across different sample types.

2. Protein And Peptide Conjugation

Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO is commonly incorporated into bioconjugation pipelines to generate Cy3-labeled protein and peptide conjugates via azide-reactive click chemistry. It is particularly useful when a fluorescent tag must be installed onto azide-containing targets such as engineered proteins, antibody fragments, or peptide constructs bearing site-specific azide motifs. In molecular biology and chemical biology labs, the reagent supports straightforward preparation of labeled reagents for binding assays, interaction studies, and workflow development where fluorescence quantification and downstream compatibility with standard assay formats are important.

3. Biomaterials Surface Functionalization

Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO is used to fluorescently functionalize azide-bearing biomaterial surfaces, hydrogels, and polymer coatings through SPAAC click attachment. Materials scientists and biomaterials researchers apply it to create trackable interfaces for studying surface-associated processes such as adsorption, diffusion, and spatial organization of functional components within composite materials. The combination of a reactive DBCO group and a water-soluble Cy3 fluorophore makes it practical for coating and patterning workflows where optical readout is needed to confirm functionalization and to support imaging-guided material characterization.

4. Molecular Imaging Probe Preparation

Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO serves as a versatile fluorescent building block for assembling imaging probes that incorporate azide-bearing targeting or recognition elements. Chemical biology teams use it to generate modular, fluorescently labeled conjugates for assay development, imaging validation, and multiplexed labeling strategies where Cy3 provides a convenient detection channel. Its SPAAC reactivity supports efficient coupling to azide-functional constructs while maintaining the fluorescent character of the probe, which is valuable for designing research tools used in imaging-centric experimental pipelines.

5. Diagnostic Reagent Development

Sulfo-Cy3 DBCO is employed in the development of fluorescence-based diagnostic research reagents and analytical tools that rely on azide-functional capture molecules. In assay development settings, it enables rapid preparation of Cy3-labeled conjugates used for signal generation in binding and detection formats, including platform prototyping and reagent screening. The sulfonated fluorescent design supports aqueous assay conditions and helps maintain consistent labeling for reproducible assay readouts during method optimization and comparative studies.