[Histonet] skin sectioning

[Lancaster, Winston C]

Greetings,
     I have been cutting sections of whole bat genitalia embedded in JB-4. My intention is to study and photograph these sections in light microscopy. The quality of the sections is excellent except for one detail. The medium separates from the epidermis (but not any other tissue interface). At first I thought it was the hair, but the separation occurred even if I trimmed the hairs. I also tried to section skin from the bat's torso and had similar results. I have left the specimens to impregnate literally for days. The bat's penis is about 4mm long and 1mm in diameter at the base; female parts are slightly wider and shorter.
     My lab is set up for sectioning with glass knives and I wanted to avoid the shrinkage of paraffin.  Can anyone suggest a method to avoid this problem with the JB-4, or another medium?


Winston C. Lancaster
Dept. of Biological Sciences
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento, California 95819 6077
wlancaster <@t> csus.edu