Sample Preparation for Scanning Electron Microscopy: The Surprising Case of Freeze Drying from Tertiary Butanol

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias I. Baskin ◽  
Teri J. Orr ◽  
Michael Jercinovic ◽  
Masato Yoshida
Author(s):  
Linda M. Sicko ◽  
Thomas E. Jensen

The use of critical point drying is rapidly becoming a popular method of preparing biological samples for scanning electron microscopy. The procedure is rapid, and produces consistent results with a variety of samples. The preservation of surface details is much greater than that of air drying, and the procedure is less complicated than that of freeze drying. This paper will present results comparing conventional air-drying of plant specimens to critical point drying, both of fixed and unfixed material. The preservation of delicate structures which are easily damaged in processing and the use of filter paper as a vehicle for drying will be discussed.


Author(s):  
P. A. Madden ◽  
W. R. Anderson

The intestinal roundworm of swine is pinkish in color and about the diameter of a lead pencil. Adult worms, taken from parasitized swine, frequently were observed with macroscopic lesions on their cuticule. Those possessing such lesions were rinsed in distilled water, and cylindrical segments of the affected areas were removed. Some of the segments were fixed in buffered formalin before freeze-drying; others were freeze-dried immediately. Initially, specimens were quenched in liquid freon followed by immersion in liquid nitrogen. They were then placed in ampuoles in a freezer at −45C and sublimated by vacuum until dry. After the specimens appeared dry, the freezer was allowed to come to room temperature slowly while the vacuum was maintained. The dried specimens were attached to metal pegs with conductive silver paint and placed in a vacuum evaporator on a rotating tilting stage. They were then coated by evaporating an alloy of 20% palladium and 80% gold to a thickness of approximately 300 A°. The specimens were examined by secondary electron emmission in a scanning electron microscope.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramprashad Prabhakaran ◽  
Vineet V. Joshi ◽  
Mark A. Rhodes ◽  
Alan L. Schemer-Kohrn ◽  
Anthony D. Guzman ◽  
...  

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