Microwave processing for scanning electron microscopy.
The normal processing of biological samples for Scanning Electron Microscopy, includes treatment with aldehyde (1 to 2 hours), postfixation with Osmium (1 hour), followed by dehydration in a ascending grade of ethanol (30 a 100%), 10 to 15 minutes in each step, and finally drying. This procedure takes at least 8 hours. In this work, samples of mosquitoes (Aedes), protozoa (Tritrichomonas muris), bacteria (Clostridium oceanicum), murine liver, and small intestine were processed in the same manner in a domestic microwave oven for two minutes at 20% of its maximum power. The complete procedure from the initial fixation to dehydration in 100% ethanol was reduced to one hour with good preservation of the ultrastructural details of the specimens.
Hernández
F
F
Facultad de Microbiología and Unidad de Microscopia Electrónica, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica. hchavarr@cariari.ucr.ac.cr
Guillén
R
R
D000330:Aedes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D003013:Clostridium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003890:Desiccation / Q000379:methods*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008099:Liver / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods*; D008872:Microwaves; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000379:methods*; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods