We are happy to announce that our newest products are nearing their release date and one of them is SPERM HY-LITER SOS. So in order to learn more about how Sperm Hy-Liter SOS can drastically change your workflow, we have asked Jennifer Old, our very own Senior Research & Development Scientist, to shine some light on the subject. This is a must read for you if you already use SPERM HY-LITER EXPRESS!

What is HY-LITER SOS?

The SOS stands for solution staining. Extracts are prepared from forensic evidence, and then a portion of the extract is placed in an Eppendorf tube. The staining solutions are added in sequence directly to the tube, hence the name.

What are the benefits when compared to Hy-LITER Express?

A main benefit of HY-LITER SOS is speed. Because the staining is performed in the Eppendorf tube and not on a slide, the fixative step can be omitted and the remaining steps are 5 minutes.

In addition, no washing steps are necessary since the staining is not performed on a slide which leads to another main benefit, which is avoiding cell loss. Any issues of cell loss from the slide staining protocol are no longer a concern. Two 3 minute centrifugation steps have been added to help increase the staining efficiency.

One important consideration with the highlighter SOS is the cells in solution are more sensitive to the reducing effects of DTT (dithiothreitol), so you have to use a lower DTT concentration, but we have clear directions in the protocol to ensure that the correct DTT concentration is used.

DTT is absolutely essential for the staining to work because you have to break disulfide bonds to expose the antigen to the antibody.

When can we expect a release date?

Fall 2018