I fix blood cells on slides using 4% PFA for 20 mins at RT. I always keep an extra slide in storage, in case if I need to re-stain the slides. So far, I have been storing my slides at 4C in a petri dish with parafilm on top. The surface of the slide where the sample is, is covered with PBS (Attached is a picture). I have seen drying happening in 2 months if I don’t replenish the PBS on my slides. Is there a better way to store these slides for longer periods without drying or having to replenish? If I have to store these slides at -80 C, will I need to add some cryopreservatives like DMSO or these slides can be directly stored in -80 C? Please advise.
Thank you.
Use cedar oil and cover slide to make a lasting preparation.
At -80 you should add some gelatine or dextran to the smear.
You can permeabilize fixed cells with 10 min incubation with 0.1-0.5% Triton X then after washing and liquid removal you can put the semi-dry slides into -80 for indefinite storage. The permeabilization will allow the water to leave the cells without rupturing the membranes during freezing. I did staining on the cells fixed that way after 3 years of storage without any issues.
For Immunocytochemistry slides -20 C is also good for long term storage.
personally, I will have put the slides on a support and I will have put them in a hermetic box, in the dark in a saturated atmosphere (PBS in a container in the box) and in a cold room at -20 ° C.
If PBS works fine I would suggest to exchange the petri dish for a 50ml Falcon filled with PBS. A 50ml Falcon can fit 2 slides back to back.
These mailer will do the same as 50ml Falcons but they have 4 slots to put 4 slides in them. With 4 slides inside, you can get away with 7 ml of fluid to cover the slides. Cheap way of doing immunohistochemistry also! The mailers themselves are not cheap but to me it's completely worth it. The cap screws tight, no spill and they have a flat bottom so that they can stand by themselves without a rack.
https://www.fishersci.ca/shop/products/simport-scientific-lockmailer-tamper-evident-slide-mailer/22038399
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