[Histonet] need to section -80C frozen tissue on sliding microtome

[Maria Mejia]

My question is a bit odd, but here goes. Over the years, I've gained  
a lot of experience
sectioning fixed brain on the sliding microtome. These specimens were  
always frozen from
a 30% sucrose/PBS solution & sectioned on the microtome.

Now, for the past 2 months I've been working in a new lab that has a  
very large tissue
bank. All of the primate tissue is fixed in zamboni fixative and they  
go through the usual
30% sucrose solution before they are snap frozen and stored in a -80  
C sub zero freezer.

If I need to cryostat section this type of frozen tissue, I know that  
once I remove the tissue
from the -80C storage area I have to leave it in the cryostat at  
least 1 hour before sectioning
it.

Now, my question is - if I need to use the sliding microtome to  
section these -80C frozen tissues-
how do I proceed with them so I can section them?????????? They are  
already frozen, but I
still need to attach them to the sliding tissue stage - how? And,  
they maybe too cold to section??

Please any suggestions, and tips you can provide will be greatly  
appreciated.

Yours

Maria Bartola Mejia
Department of Neurosurgery
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94103