Conjugation of cetuximab-IRDye800 was performed under cGMP conditions, as previously described.(19 (link)) Briefly, cetuximab® (ImClone LLC, Eli Lilly and Company, Branchburg, NJ) was concentrated and pH adjusted by buffer exchange to a 10mg/ml solution in 50mM potassium phosphate, pH 8.5. IRDye800CW NHS ester (LI–COR Biosciences, Lincoln NE) was conjugated to cetuximab for 2hr at 20°C in the dark, at a molar ratio of 2.3:1.