Do these categories occur at different rates?
Compare counts or proportions
Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and when each applies.
For a contingency table of counts — survived versus died, expressing versus not — chi-square is the standard test, and Fisher’s exact test is the right choice when any expected cell count falls below about five. With small samples, which is most bench biology, Fisher’s is usually the safer default.
Report the proportions themselves alongside the test. "12 of 40 versus 31 of 44" is more informative than any p-value you could attach to it.