Histo-Dirt (Was Re: RE: [Histonet] at a troubleshooting loss)

[John Kiernan]

Good one Tony. Graphite is quite probable: pencil spray.

Fungal spores from the air circulated in the building are another major cause of dirt particles on slides here in SW Ontario. Pencil spray is black. Spores are dark brown, mostly smaller than mammalian cell nuclei, and with internal granulation. Probably we'll get many more descriptions of histo-dirt. Let them come!

John Kiernan
Anatomy, UWO
London, Canada
= = =
----- Original Message -----
From: Tony Henwood 
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2008 18:20
Subject: RE: [Histonet] at a troubleshooting loss
To: Michele Wich , histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu

> ?carbon from lead pensils used for labelling slides.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Tony Henwood JP, MSc, BAppSc, GradDipSysAnalys, CT(ASC)
> Laboratory Manager & Senior Scientist
> Tel: 612 9845 3306
> Fax: 612 9845 3318
> the children's hospital at westmead 
> Cnr Hawkesbury Road and Hainsworth Street, Westmead 
> Locked Bag 4001, Westmead NSW 2145, AUSTRALIA 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of 
> MicheleWich
> Sent: Wednesday, 17 December 2008 4:31 AM
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Subject: [Histonet] at a troubleshooting loss
> 
> 
> A couple questions for those who are troubleshooting savvy: 
> Other than
> inadequate fixation, water being introduced during processing, 
> or too
> much heat, what can cause fuzzy, uneven hematoxylin staining 
> with poor
> nuclear detail? 
> 
> And secondly, aside from formalin, are there any other common 
> agents of
> blackish pigment in H & E staining? (The artifact appears on the 
> slidesboth on and around the tissues.) 
> 
> Any feedback is GREATLY appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
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