Practical question - plastic bottomed multiwell plates

[Jeremy Adler-5]

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One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.

However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?

[John Oreopoulos]

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Why not instead use coverslip bottom dishes that are commercially available?

Willco-Wells and MatTek come to mind (no commercial interest).

I just think the cost of buying would outweigh the time involved with cutting and gluing.

Cheers,

John Oreopoulos

> On Jan 10, 2017, at 7:07 AM, Jeremy Adler <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
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> *****
>
> One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.
>
> However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
> So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?

[Jeremy Adler-5]

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Good suggestion -

it is the usual problem, the experimenter setting up and staining cells before checking how they can be best imaged.

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of John Oreopoulos
Sent: den 10 januari 2017 13:52
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Practical question - plastic bottomed multiwell plates

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Why not instead use coverslip bottom dishes that are commercially available?

Willco-Wells and MatTek come to mind (no commercial interest).

I just think the cost of buying would outweigh the time involved with cutting and gluing.

Cheers,

John Oreopoulos

> On Jan 10, 2017, at 7:07 AM, Jeremy Adler <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> *****
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> *****
>
> One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.
>
> However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
> So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?

[Patrick Van Oostveldt]

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Yes it is possible to cut plastic flasks with a saw or a "dremel" but it generates a lot of fine dust that sticks to your sample and interfers with the imaging. Therefor the suggestion of John is the most practical solutions.

Patrick Van Oostveldt
Sint-Denijslaan 199
9000 GENT

Mobile [phone]
Sent from my iPad

> On 10 Jan 2017, at 13:51, John Oreopoulos <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> *****
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> *****
>
> Why not instead use coverslip bottom dishes that are commercially available?
>
> Willco-Wells and MatTek come to mind (no commercial interest).
>
> I just think the cost of buying would outweigh the time involved with cutting and gluing.
>
> Cheers,
>
> John Oreopoulos
>
>> On Jan 10, 2017, at 7:07 AM, Jeremy Adler <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
>> *****
>>
>> One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.
>>
>> However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
>> So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?

[Oshel, Philip Eugene]

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Is the cell in the center (or near center) of the well, and how big is the well?
If more-or-less in the middle, and not a tiny well (like a 96 well plate, more like a 6 or 12 well), use a core-borer. Make use the edges are true and "sharp" – use the tool that is made for this (looks like a cone, with a loose metal arm) – then heat the borer in a flame or a hot plate. *Just* hot enough to melt the plastic. This will let you cut out the bottom of the well as a disc, and if you're careful with the heating, it won't kill or damage the cell. *IF*.
You'll have a raised rim of melted plastic around the edge of the disc that you'll have to trim away with a razor in order to put on the coverslip.
Practice this before trying it on the sample.

Mind, this is something to do if you must image this sample, and can't redo the experiment on the proper plate with a coverslip bottom …

Phil
-------------
Philip Oshel    
Imaging Facility Director
Biology Department
1304 Biosciences
1455 Calumet Ct.
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
[phone] office
[phone] lab

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]> on behalf of Jeremy Adler <[hidden email]>
Reply-To: Confocal Microscopy List <[hidden email]>
Date: Tuesday,  10January, 2017 at 07:07
To: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>
Subject: Practical question - plastic bottomed multiwell plates

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    http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
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    One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.
   
    However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
    So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?
   

[Michael Delannoy]

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Hmmmm interesting question.  I would say either a very sharp razor or
perhaps a heat pen or (soldering irion) to melt away plastic.

Good luck,
Michael Delannoy

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On
Behalf Of Jeremy Adler
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 7:08 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Practical question - plastic bottomed multiwell plates

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One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their
thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.

However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a
coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?

[Roger Leigh]

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On 10/01/17 14:07, Michael Delannoy wrote:

I've found that a scalpel (V type blade with straight edge) and bunsen
work nicely for cutting various plastic types.  Heat up the blade to
just under red heat and then run it around the edge of the well for
larger wells, or perhaps completely through the well side for small
wells.  Avoid those disposable scalpels with blue plastic handles, since
they go soft and bendy as well as catching fire, though if that's all
you have you can get away with it so long as you let them cool down
between cuts!  You might need to cut at an angle or chamfer off the edge
to avoid a lip of molten plastic which will prevent mounting flush with
the coverslip.  Probably best practiced with a test plate first to avoid
damaging the real samples!

Glass-bottomed plates are probably preferable for future work if the
user can culture on glass- or coated glass-bottomed plates.

Good luck!
Roger

> Hmmmm interesting question.  I would say either a very sharp razor or
> perhaps a heat pen or (soldering irion) to melt away plastic.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On
> Behalf Of Jeremy Adler
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2017 7:08 AM
> To: [hidden email]

> Subject: Practical question - plastic bottomed multiwell plates
>
> One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their
> thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.
>
> However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a
> coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
> So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?


--
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Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression,
College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dow Street,
Dundee DD1 5EH Scotland UK   Tel: [phone]

The University of Dundee is a registered Scottish Charity, No: SC015096

[Christian Feldhaus]

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Hi,

during my PhD I did it the following way:

- fixing and staining in the multiwell plate

- using a hollow drill to drill out the bottom of each well (drilling
carefully from the bottom side to avoid dirt getting on the sample side,
drill inner diameter should match the inner diameter of the well)

- carefully grinding the edges of the drilled out bottom with a scalpel
without touching the sample side

- mounting the drilled out well bottom on a large coverslip and putting
it into the holder for imaging

During practice you will have to sacrifice some samples but in the end
it's no magic and doable. I also remember that it took some trials to
figure out the best speed for the drill.

Best,

Christian



On 10.01.2017 13:07, Jeremy Adler wrote:

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> *****
>
> One of our users has cell on a plastic bottomed multiwell plate - their thickness means we cannot use our best objectives.
>
> However if we could cut the bottom off the plate and remount it on a coverslip, we could use short working distance objectives.
> So any ideas about how to safely remove the base of a multiwell plate ?

--
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Christian Liebig, PhD
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[Claire Brown]

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We use the Corning 3882 half well and 3904 full well 96 well plates on our HCS microscope.
They are plastic bottom so the cells like them but the plastic is very thin at 0.3-0.5 um.

The half well are great if you have expensive reagents and you still have hundreds or thousands of cells in each well.

They will usually send samples.
You can find a detailed list of plates with all of the measurements including plate bottom thickness here:
http://csmedia2.corning.com/LifeSciences/Media/equipment_compatibility/MD_Microplate_Dimension_Sheets.htm

I priced out making your own plates by cutting out the bottom and putting coverslips and when you factor in staff time, materials and failure rates (coverslip not flat, leaky etc) I have found it is more economical to purchase plates and dishes.

No commercial interest.

Claire