LigandTracer is built for living cells but sometimes, revealing experiments happen when you pause biology. Our new Cell Fixation protocol lets you run LigandTracer assays on chemically fixed cells, opening a powerful new lens for understanding complex ligand–receptor interactions.

Formaldehyde fixation works by forming crosslinks between proteins, effectively locking the cell in place. This means receptor density and distribution on the membrane are preserved, so what you measure reflects the true binding landscape, not a snapshot affected by active cell processes.

What can you learn?

🔬 Deconvolute complex binding mechanisms

Chemical fixation halts membrane dynamics and metabolism isolating pure receptor binding from confounding processes like internalization, receptor clustering, dimerization, or G-protein coupling.

⚖️ Compare fixed vs. live — side by side

Running the same assay on both fixed and live cells reveals the avidity enhancement by receptor mobility and metabolic contribution to your interaction signal. A simple, elegant experimental control.

📅 Flexibility in your schedule

Fixed cells can be stored at +4 °C for a few days, prepare in advance and run your LigandTracer assay when it suits you.