New DNA stain lights up living cells

01. EPFL scientists have developed a new DNA stain that can be used to image living cells. One of the holy grails of bio-imaging is to visualize the inner workings of a cell while it is still alive. But this also means that living cells put under the microscope risk being killed by the light and the fluorescent dyes used to highlight their structures. Much like being sunburnt, live cells are sensitive to intense light - and the most dangerous are the ultraviolet and blue lights used in live-cell imaging. EPFL scientists have now developed a new DNA stain that can be used to safely image live mammalian cells for days, even under demanding imaging conditions. Fluorescent stains that light up a cell's DNA are popular in live-cell imaging as they allow us to track key biological processes such as cell division.