Is it normal to see blue staining in my untreated samples when using the Senescence β-Galactosidase Staining Kit #9860?

Seeing positive blue staining in your untreated cells is not a cause for concern. We have also observed positive blue staining in our negative controls in some cell types. For example, we always see this in untreated MCF-7 cells. We believe it may be due to high endogenous levels of beta-galactosidase within particular cell types. It may also indicate a high passage number of the cells being tested. Additionally, if your staining solution is not the correct pH, this could  cause non-specific staining. Other possible reasons include increased lysosome load and cell line specific background. We have had customers see high background from time to time. Staining with fewer total cells can sometimes resolve this issue.

Last updated: April 2, 2024