Schaeffer–Fulton stain

The Schaeffer–Fulton stain is a technique designed to isolate endospores by staining any present endospores green, and any other bacterial bodies red. The primary stain is malachite green, and the counterstain is safranin, which dyes any other bacterial bodies red.

Endospores cannot be stained by normal staining procedures because their walls are practically impermeable to all chemicals. The Schaeffer- Fulton endospore stain uses heat to drive the primary stain(malachite green) into the endospore. After cooling, the slide is decolorized with water and counterstained with safranin.