Description

Blue Dextran 2000 is a high-molecular weight derivative of dextran (average MW ≈ 2,000,000 Da), covalently labelled with a triazinyl dye (typically Cibacron Blue F3GA), yielding a dark blue, water-soluble polymer. Supplied as a blue to dark-blue powder or crystalline solid, it dissolves readily in aqueous buffers, enabling its use as a visible, non-fluorescent tracer or molecular weight marker in a variety of biochemical and chromatographic assays.

Specifications

Item	Value
Chemical Name	Blue Dextran 2000
Appearance	Powder or Crystals (Blue to Dark Blue)
CAS No.	87915-38-6
Average m.w.	~2,000,000
Molecular weight	2,000,000
Substitution Degree (mmol/g)	0.06
Loss of Drying	3%
Storage	Ambient in the dark

Features

High molecular weight (~2,000,000 Da): The large size ensures exclusion from the pores of most SEC (gel filtration) resins, making it ideal as a void-volume marker or size-exclusion standard.
Water-soluble dye conjugate: The dextran backbone is covalently bound to a blue dye, producing a stable, water-soluble polymer that dissolves in aqueous buffers without organic solvents.
Easy to detect by UV/Vis: The dye gives a characteristic absorbance (λ_max around 620 nm), facilitating detection with standard UV-Vis detectors or UV monitoring in chromatography.
Easy to detect by UV/Vis: The dye gives a characteristic absorbance (λ_max around 620 nm), facilitating detection with standard UV-Vis detectors or UV monitoring in chromatography.
Versatile utility: Suitable for gel filtration column calibration (void volume determination), permeability and transport assays, protein chromatography, and as a molecular weight marker or tracer in macromolecular studies.

Application

Size-Exclusion / Gel Filtration Chromatography (SEC): Use Blue Dextran 2000 as a void-volume marker to determine the exclusion limit of the column, assess packing quality and calculate column bed volume. Typical loading concentration: ~1–2 mg/mL in buffer; injection volume usually 1–3% of column bed volume.
Column Calibration & Quality Control: As a high-molecular weight standard, it helps verify the performance and consistency of gel filtration or size-exclusion columns across runs and batches.
Permeability / Barrier Integrity Assays: Commonly used in cell-based or tissue-based assays (e.g., epithelial or endothelial monolayers) to evaluate macromolecule permeability or barrier integrity due to its large size and visible dye tag.
Protein Chromatography & Affinity Studies: The dye moiety (Cibacron Blue) can bind certain proteins under appropriate pH/ionic strength conditions; when bound, the Blue Dextran–protein complex elutes in the void volume during gel filtration, facilitating separation from other proteins of similar MW.
Molecular-Weight Marker / Tracer in Macromolecular Transport or Volume Distribution Studies: Due to its inert high-MW polymer backbone and visible dye, it is suited for studying transport, flow, diffusion, or volume distribution in biological systems (e.g., vascular flow studies, tissue penetration, fluid transport).

Safety Disclaimer

This product is intended for laboratory research use only. Not for drug, human, or veterinary use. Review the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) provided by BioFargo for detailed handling, storage, hazard, and disposal information. Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) including gloves, lab coat, and eye protection when handling. Dispose of waste and residual buffer in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations. Ensure proper ventilation if preparing large volumes or heating solutions.