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For many years we are applying CytoSeal 60 (Fisher) to seal coverslips.
it hardens faster than nail polish and makes a very good barrier to
prevent leaks the penetration of oxygen into the mounting media. It has
lower autofluorescence and it is much less expensive. We use a camel
brush or wooden applicator to smear the CytoSeal around the coverslip
Ed
Tobias Baskin wrote:
> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> Sarah,
> Fair enough. I hadn't realized that there was anything in nail
> polish that caused fading. Its a good point. I was not trying to
> advocate for using the stuff, just explaining why we do. Maybe we will
> even try w/o?? Once in a while somethingwe want to see is under the
> polish.
> Tobias
>
>> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>>
>> OK, but why not just use a straight glycerol-based mounting medium?
>> Then you wouldn't have any significant evaporation and you don't have to
>> add the unknown of nail polish. If it works for you, great, but there
>> have been lengthy discussions in the past about what component in nail
>> polish causes fading- if you leave it out completely, it's not an issue.
>> Why add a bunch of variables when you don't need to? I should add that
>> we occasionally go back to fixed samples over a year old and they look
>> similar to the newly prepared ones, just dimmer. I suggest just trying
>> a few without nail polish and seeing how long they hold up (or maybe
>> someone on this list has already done this and can make a comment)
>> Sarah
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>> Behalf Of Tobias Baskin
>> Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 2:39 PM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Substitute to Nail Polish
>>
>> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>>
>> Sarah,
>> I'll take a stab at answering you. Note -- I have no stock in
>> the nail polish companies! We store our slides for more than a year
>> and often go back. The images are not quite as crispy as original but
>> are servicable. We use a water gycerol mixture so there is some
>> evaporation, and oxygen may diffuse in. But in any case, we absorb
>> excess mountant and the nail polish sets up in moments (although we
>> always wait 30 to 60 min before going near a microscope) so I can't
>> see how it could cause trouble. And the colors are so pretty (just
>> kidding about the last).
>>
>> Anyway, that is why we use nail polish.
>>
>> Tobias
>>
>>> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>>> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>>> I have yet to figure out why someone would use nail polish on their
>>> slides. We mostly use inverted scopes and only have problems if the
>>> coverlips are small (15mm or less diameter) and too much mounting
>>> medium is used- they tend to be dragged around by the surface
>>> tension between the immersion oil and the coverslip. It's easily
>>> solved by using a Kimwipe to remove the excess mounting medium.
>>> Samples are stored flat in a fridge for several months. The vapor
>>> pressure of glycerol is EXTREMELY low so evaporation is not an issue
>>> at all. The only thing you might have to worry about is fading, but
>>> we rarely look at them after more than a month or two. It seems
>>> like adding nail polish with all the solvents, polymers, colors, etc
>>> in it is just asking for trouble (see all the postings on this in
>>> the archives). Just because "we've always done it" doesn't make it
>>> a good idea.
>>> Sarah
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Confocal Microscopy List
>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Walters,
>>> Katherine S
>>> Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 1:21 PM
>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>> Subject: Re: Substitute to Nail Polish
>>>
>>> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>>> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal @font-face {
>>> font-family: Tahoma; }
>>
>>
>> --
>> _ ____ __ ____ / \ / / \
>> / \ \ Tobias I. Baskin
>> / / / / \ \ \ Biology Department
>> /_ / __ /__ \ \ \__ 611 N. Pleasant St.
>> / / / \ \ \ University of
>> Massachusetts
>> / / / \ \ \ Amherst, MA, 01003
>> / / ___ / \ \__/ \ ____
>> http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/baskin/
>> Voice: 413 - 545 - 1533 Fax: 413 - 545 - 3243
>
>
--
Edward Monosov, Ph.D.
Director , Cell Imaging & Histology
BURNHAM INSTITUTE for MEDICAL RESEARCH
10901 N. Torrey Pines Rd,
La Jolla, CA 92037
Ph: (858)646-3100 ext. 3206
Fax: (858)646-3196
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