[Histonet] [External] Re: Agarose embedded tissue arrays embedded in paraffin block

[Otto, Christopher M]

Hi Colleen,

they are blocks of spheroids so they are pretty small.  I don't know how they were processed or how the agarose was prepared.

The samples you are talking about, that you ran a short run on, how did that behave when you tried to section on the microtome?

Thanks
-Chris
________________________________
From: Colleen Forster <cforster at umn.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2024 3:06 PM
To: Jay Lundgren <jaylundgren at gmail.com>
Cc: Otto, Christopher M <christopher-otto at uiowa.edu>; histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Subject: [External] Re: [Histonet] Agarose embedded tissue arrays embedded in paraffin block

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Chistopher,

Were these small pieces of tissue? If they are in an agar (such as histogel) they would need to have been processed overnight to ensure the agar is completely dehydrated during processing. The sample, no matter how small, is protected and processes perfectly. IF you ran a short run with the agar it will not have [processed properly. I was never able to salvage those samples. It took me a couple times to figure out the solution.

Just a thought.

Colleen Forster HT(ASCP)QIHC

On Fri, May 17, 2024 at 2:32 PM Jay Lundgren via Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu<mailto:histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>> wrote:
Where did the agarose come from?

On Fri, May 17, 2024 at 12:09 PM Otto, Christopher M via Histonet <
histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu<mailto:histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>> wrote:

>
>
> Hello everyone!
>
>  I'm having trouble sectioning tissue array blocks where the array is in
> agarose embedded into a paraffin block.  I've chilled the blocks and I'm
> sectioning on a rotary microtome, at 5 microns, with a high profile
> Accuedge blade. The paraffin surrounding the agarose sections normally, but
> the agarose portion of the block causes the blade to "skip" across it
> slightly and even chip out as if my blade isn't snug in the blade holder
> (it is).  If I do get a tiny portion of agarose on my section to float out
> on the waterbath it flies away (like adding ETOH to a waterbath with
> sections already on it.)   Everyone I have asked about this says the
> agarose should section normally with the paraffin like any other FFPE
> blocks. Any ideas on why this agarose is behaving this way for me?  Thank
> you in advance!
>
>
>
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--
Colleen Forster HT(ASCP)QIHC
BLS Histology and IHC Laboratory
Jackson Hall, Room 2-155
321 Church St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-626-1930