Re: Practice samples

Posted by Phil Hertzler on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/ATTO647N-and-FCS-tp1499210p1499641.html

Jon,

I recommend brine shrimp 3 days old or older, fixed with formalin and stained with rhodamine-phalloidin, which shows up the muscles nicely.  I use this as the first sample to look at in my confocal microscopy class.  Brine shrimp are always available - just add water.  The biggest up front cost in the rhodamine-phalloidin, but you can keep it for years.

Phil Hertzler

At 11:45 AM 11/14/2008, you wrote:

Hi:

This is a pretty basic and simple question. I need some advice about rounding up some samples to use in an elementary light microscopy class that includes basic fluorescence.

I am at a community college and my background is in EM and brightfield LM. I have a passing familiarity with confocal et al but not enough to know much. I maintained a confocal, but never ran experiments or prepared much in the way of samples. Now I have to get something together to demonstrate the fundamentals of fluorescence to students in a new job.

I have been relying on chlorophyll autofluorescence up til now, but would like to add anything that would be easy to do. We have a simple scope with filters for FITC, rhodamine, and DAPI, I think. What would be some fool proof, easy to get samples to try?

In addition, I would eventually like to add some kind of confocal experience to this class, any ideas about where to find an inexpensive system would be great.

Thanks

Jon
San Joaquin Delta College
Stockton, CA 95207
[hidden email]

---

Philip L. Hertzler
Associate Professor
Central Michigan University
Dept. of Biology, Brooks Hall 217
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [hidden email]

"Teachers should be paid more."
- Sarah Palin, Vice-presidential debate, 10/2/2008

"It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
- attributed to Albert Einstein