Lab method
Calcofluor white stain
Fluorochrome binding fungal chitin
KAL-koh-flor
High-yield clue
Fungal walls and Pneumocystis cysts glowing bright apple-green/blue-white under UV is the calcofluor white clue.
Overview
A fluorescent brightener concept that binds beta-linked polysaccharides (chitin and cellulose) in fungal cell walls so organisms glow under UV/fluorescence microscopy.
Classification
- Fluorochrome stain concept
- UV/fluorescence microscopy
- Chitin-binding dye
- Rapid screening method
Lab & identification clues
- Bright fluorescence under UV light
- Often combined with KOH
- Highlights hyphae, yeast, and cysts
- Requires a fluorescence microscope
Associations
- Rapid fungal detection vocabulary
- Pneumocystis cyst recognition
- Acanthamoeba and microsporidia study association
Commonly confused with
- Lactophenol cotton blue
- GMS silver stain
Your notes
Original concept summary for coursework. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e and NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology; reviewed 2026-06. Describes vocabulary and interpretation concepts only; not a lab protocol and not for handling specimens or identifying patient isolates.