March 19, 2018
Gram staining classifies bacterial strains based on differences in their cell wall. Green fluorescence results when CF™ 488A-Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) binds to N-Acetyl Glucosamine in bacterial peptidoglycan. Gram positive bacteria appear bright green as they have a thick, exposed peptidoglycan layer. An outer membrane and thin peptidoglycan layer restrict the signal in gram negative bacteria.