[Histonet] FW: EM questions

[Hawkins, Hal K.]

I would suggest using some sort of conductive adhesive for what I guess is analysis of the minerals by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of their elemental composition.  I would think that embedding in a high melting point wax might have adverse effects by absorbing/scattering  the electron beam in the high-carbon wax before it penetrated to the mineral grains.  Check out these products:

http://www.tedpella.com/SEMmisc_html/SEMpaint.htm



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From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] on behalf of Patsy Ruegg [pruegg <@t> ihctech.net]
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 5:37 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] FW: EM questions

Can anyone help with this, I haven't got a clue?

Patsy Ruegg, HT(ASCP)QIHC
IHCtech, LLC
Fitzsimmons BioScience Park
12635 Montview Blvd. Suite 215
Aurora, CO 80010
P-720-859-4060
F-720-859-4110
wk email pruegg <@t> ihctech.net
web site www.ihctech.net


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-----Original Message-----
From: Suarez, Andrea Luisa [mailto:ANDREA.SUAREZ <@t> UCDENVER.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 3:22 PM
To: pruegg <@t> ihctech.net
Cc: High, Whitney
Subject: EM questions

Hi Patsy,

Not sure if you remember me from my days as a graduate student in the van
Dyk lab.  How are you?
I am working w/ Dr Whit High at CU dermpath on an EM project.  I had some
questions that perhaps you might have some answers to.  We are doing a
project where we will be doing QEMSCAN at school of mines, which has the
capacity to do a very sophisticated analysis of mineral composition.  We
will be looking for volcanic ash deposition in human skin samples, and would
like to embedd the tissues in as pure a fashion as possible, with optimum
antigen preservation.  We have some concerns about parrafin embedding, as we
plan to mount the sections onto carbon planchets.  Our experience w/ this in
the past, is that adherence to the planchet is poor after deparafinizaiton.
Therefore, we would like to optimize adherence, if possible, or avoid the
need for deparafinization by embedding in a wax (such as carnuba) w/ a very
high melting temp.

1.) Do you have any experience/insight regarding embedding in carnuba wax?
Do you know of anyone who would be willing to do this for us?
2.) Do you have any recomendations as to how to improve adherence to the
carbon planchet in the event that we do end up having to de-parafinize?  We
were thinking that adding albumin to the water bath may help things.  Any
thoughts on this?


Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Andrea Suarez, MD/PhD
Colorado Health Foundation Transitional Intern
andrea.suarez <@t> ucdenver.edu


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