A rapid microbiopsy system to improve the preservation of biological samples prior to high-pressure freezing

Vanhecke, D.; Graber, W.; Herrmann, G.; Al-Amoudi, A.; Eggli, P.; Studer, D. (2003). A rapid microbiopsy system to improve the preservation of biological samples prior to high-pressure freezing. Journal of microscopy, 212(Pt 1), pp. 3-12. Wiley-Blackwell 10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01226.x

[img] Text
j.1365-2818.2003.01226.x.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to registered users only
Available under License Publisher holds Copyright.

Download (551kB)

A microbiopsy system for fast excision and transfer of biological specimens from donor to high-pressure freezer was developed. With a modified, commercially available, Promag 1.2 biopsy gun, tissue samples can be excised with a size small enough (0.6 mm x 1.2 mm x 0.3 mm) to be easily transferred into a newly designed specimen platelet. A self-made transfer unit allows fast transfer of the specimen from the needle into the specimen platelet. The platelet is then fixed in a commercially available specimen holder of a high-pressure freezing machine (EM PACT, Leica Microsystems, Vienna, Austria) and frozen therein. The time required by a well-instructed (but not experienced) person to execute all steps is in the range of half a minute. This period is considered short enough to maintain the excised tissue pieces close to their native state. We show that a range of animal tissues (liver, brain, kidney and muscle) are well preserved. To prove the quality of freezing achieved with the system, we show vitrified ivy leaves high-pressure frozen in the new specimen platelet.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > Institute of Anatomy

UniBE Contributor:

Vanhecke, Dimitri, Graber, Werner Adrian, Herrmann, Gudrun, Eggli, Peter Slade, Studer, Daniel Franz

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

0022-2720

Publisher:

Wiley-Blackwell

Language:

English

Submitter:

Gudrun Herrmann-Engelmann

Date Deposited:

01 Sep 2014 11:46

Last Modified:

02 Mar 2023 23:24

Publisher DOI:

10.1046/j.1365-2818.2003.01226.x

PubMed ID:

14516356

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Cryofixation, cryosectioning, electron microscopy, freeze-substitution, high-pressure freezing, microbiopsy

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.46911

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/46911

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback