BD Microscopy & Imaging Reagents for IF/ICC/IHC

As you plan multicolor imaging—from quick ICC screens to publication-grade IHC—this collection brings BD’s microscopy reagents into a single, navigable place. You’ll find core antibodies, second-step reagents, Brilliant™ polymer dyes, buffers, and fix/perm and antigen retrieval solutions, with concise selection advice and popular SKUs verified from BD’s catalog.

What You’ll Find at Iright

This page is designed to help you move from intent to product choice quickly. You’ll see how BD’s immunofluorescence (IF), immunocytochemistry (ICC), and immunohistochemistry (IHC) reagents map to typical workflows, then compare dyes and second-step options, and finally shortlist verified SKUs you can source directly through Iright.

What’s in the BD Microscopy & Imaging Line (IF/ICC/IHC Focus)

BD’s microscopy portfolio covers the essentials you use every day: primary antibodies for IF/ICC/IHC, polymer-technology Brilliant™ dyes (BV421, BV480) for brighter signals, second-step anti-species antibodies and systems, buffers for blocking and staining, and fixatives/permeabilization and retrieval reagents for clean, reproducible images.

At a glance (scope of this collection):

• IF/ICC/IHC-validated primaries and second-step reagents
• BD Horizon Brilliant™ polymer dyes (e.g., BV421, BV480)
• Brilliant Stain Buffer (and Plus) to stabilize multi-Brilliant panels
• Cytofix/Cytoperm™, Perm/Wash™, and retrieval buffers (pH 6.0/9.5)

Product Families at a Glance: Antibodies, Polymer Dyes, Buffers & More

To shorten your path from protocol to purchase, group products by the job they do in the microscope room. Skim the families below, then jump to the selection guide to match dyes and buffers to your instrument and tissue type without guesswork.

Product families (overview):

• Primary antibodies (IF/ICC/IHC) — validated clones/conjugates for protein localization.
• Second-step reagents — anti-mouse/anti-rabbit, biotin/streptavidin systems, cross-adsorbed options.
• Polymer dyes — BD Horizon Brilliant™ BV421/BV480 for high brightness and multiplexing.
• Buffers & blocking — Brilliant Stain Buffer (BSB/BSB Plus), blocking and wash buffers.
• Fixation & permeabilization — Cytofix/Cytoperm™ solution/kit; Perm/Wash™.
• Antigen retrieval — Retrievagen A (pH 6.0) and B (pH 9.5) for FFPE.

Selection Guide: Choose Dyes, Antibodies & Buffers for Your Microscopy

Choosing the right combo depends on specimen type, target abundance, available channels, and whether you’ll multiplex. Use the quick rules below to land on a first-pass panel, then fine-tune with the comparison table in the next section.

Quick decision rules (checklist):

• Platform & lasers: If you have a 405 nm channel, BV421 is a bright, low-background choice; pair with BV480 to expand violet-excited capacity in multiplex sets.
  
• Tissue & retrieval: For FFPE with formalin cross-links, start with Retrievagen A (pH 6.0); trial Retrievagen B (pH 9.5) for epitopes favoring alkaline conditions. 
  
• Multiplex stability: When combining multiple Brilliant dyes, include Brilliant Stain Buffer (BSB/BSB Plus) to mitigate staining artifacts and maintain expected patterns. 
  
• Intracellular targets: Use Cytofix/Cytoperm™ (with Perm/Wash™) for consistent fixation and saponin-based permeabilization.
  
• Background control: Prefer cross-adsorbed secondaries; maintain consistent blocking and wash steps; titrate primaries. (See Best-Practice.)

Compare Key Dyes & Second-Step Reagents: BV421/BV480, Ex/Em & Use Cases

Before you build a panel, understand the spectral windows and typical roles for each violet-excited dye, plus the second-step layer that drives specificity. The summary below gives practical defaults you can adapt to most epifluorescence and confocal setups.

Second-step layer (what to consider):

• Host & cross-adsorption: Match anti-species (e.g., anti-mouse/anti-rabbit) and prefer cross-adsorbed to cut background in complex tissues.
• Conjugate vs. enzymatic: For pure IF, choose fluorophore-conjugated secondaries; for IHC with chromogens, follow your DAB/AEC system.
• When using multiple Brilliant reagents: Add Brilliant Stain Buffer or Brilliant Stain Buffer Plus in the cocktail; BD recommends specific per-test volumes to preserve expected patterns.

Best Practice for IF/ICC/IHC: Fixation/Permeabilization, Blocking & Retrieval

Good images are built long before acquisition. This section condenses routine steps—fixation/permeabilization, blocking, antigen retrieval—and links them to the BD reagents that make each step reproducible across runs and operators.

Protocol tips you can adopt today:

• Fix/Perm for intracellular targets: Use BD Cytofix/Cytoperm™ Solution (Cat. 554722) with Perm/Wash™ (Cat. 554723); for convenience, the Fixation/Permeabilization Kit (Cat. 554714) bundles both. Keep consistent times and temperatures to protect epitopes.
  
• Antigen retrieval for FFPE: Begin with Retrievagen A (pH 6.0, Cat. 550524); escalate to Retrievagen B (pH 9.5, Cat. 550527) if the target favors high-pH unmasking. Document retrieval time/temperature per antibody.
  
• Multiplex discipline: When two or more Brilliant dyes are in the same cocktail, include Brilliant Stain Buffer (Cat. 563794/566349) or BSB Plus to minimize dye-dye interactions that can distort patterns.
  
• Blocking & washes: Use serum-free blocking when cross-species binding is a risk; maintain gentle agitation and identical wash counts to keep backgrounds low.
• Acquisition sanity checks: Run single-stain controls for each channel; verify expected localization with a known-positive target before scaling.

Popular SKUs & Starter Sets: BD Imaging Antibodies, Polymer Dyes & Kits

The SKUs below are drawn from BD’s product pages and data sheets to give you a reliable starting bill of materials. Use them as drop-in components for pilot experiments or as anchors in a larger multicolor panel.

Core buffers & retrieval (validated SKUs):

Representative Brilliant-conjugated antibodies (IF/ICC/IHC examples):

FAQs: IF vs ICC vs IHC, Direct vs Indirect, Multiplex & Background Tips

The questions below reflect the search intent we see around imaging with BD’s dyes and buffers. Use them to debug first experiments and set lab-wide defaults that reduce repeat runs. Each answer points to the selection and comparison guidance above.

Q1. When should I choose BV421 vs BV480?
Start with BV421 for the lowest-abundance target on your 405 nm path; add BV480 to gain a second violet-excited color with distinct spectra for cleaner multiplexing on epifluorescence or confocal systems. Include Brilliant Stain Buffer when using multiple Brilliant dyes.

Q2. Do I need antigen retrieval for all FFPE IHC?
Not always, but formalin cross-linking often masks epitopes. Begin with pH 6.0 (Retrievagen A) and escalate to pH 9.5 (Retrievagen B) if signal is weak. Keep retrieval conditions consistent and documented per antibody.

Q3. Why does my multiplex look “off” with multiple Brilliant dyes?
Polymer dyes can interact in dense mixes; Brilliant Stain Buffer (or Plus) mitigates staining artifacts and restores expected patterns. Follow BD’s per-test volume guidance when building cocktails.

Talk to Iright

If you’re setting up a new imaging workflow—or standardizing one across instruments—Iright can help you translate the selection rules above into a tested panel and deliver the exact SKUs listed here. Share your tissue type, channels, and targets; we’ll propose a small pilot set with BSB, fix/perm, and retrieval defaults you can scale with confidence.