MegaCult-C Staining Kit, kit

Used in combination with the MegaCult-C medium system, this immunocytochemical staining kit from STEMCELL Technologies enables researchers to identify and count colony-forming unit megakaryocyte (CFU-Mk) colonies in human bone marrow or peripheral blood cell culture samples grown in collagen gels over 10 to 14 days. The kit supplies all reagents required for the fixation, antibody labeling, and chromogenic detection of CD41-positive megakaryocyte progenitors.

Each kit includes a fixation solution that preserves the collagen matrix, a blocking reagent to minimize background, an alkaline phosphatase-conjugated anti-CD41 antibody that selectively binds megakaryocyte lineage cells, and a substrate solution that produces a red precipitate at positive colony sites. Reagents arrive in individual vials and are applied sequentially to fixed gels; staining is typically completed within a single laboratory session and visualized under standard brightfield microscopy.

After staining, CFU-Mk colonies are counted against a grid to quantify megakaryocyte progenitor frequency in original donor samples. For research use only, this product supports studies of platelet production, hematopoiesis drug screening, and characterization of megakaryocyte biology. Reagents should be refrigerated to maintain antibody activity and substrate stability throughout the shelf life.