I have been given some blocks to be sectioned and some gelatin coated slides too. The predecessor of this project had kept both unused gelatin coated slides and sections at 4C. Is it necessary to do so? Because I have worked in another lab before and sections were kept at room temperature and we still get good staining out of it.
Another question, after sectioning (and mounting), do we have to heat the slides up at 60C (in the oven or hot plate) or letting it dry at room temperature is adequate?
Dear Elena,
The gelatin coating is a solution that has to be rich in h2o for it to work as a glue. If you keep them for a long time even in 4C it will dehydrate. The best thing to do is to prepare a small number of gelatin coated slides just before mounting. But if you have to store, store in 4C and raped with plastic, it avoids fungus and dehydration. If you don't take care so it does not dehydrate your tissue will detach during the staining procedure.
Best Wishes
Dear Elena,
if your gelatin-solution contains chrom alum (chromium potassium sulfate) you can store your gel coated slids in slide boxes at room temperature. Here is the recepet:
solve 3 g gelatin, 0.3 chrom alum in 60°C hot water; filter and cool to room temperature for use; dip every clean slide in this solution; dry them for approx. 2 H at 60°C; cool the slides to room temperature (over night) and collect them in slide boxes.
You can use this slides for several weeks.
I use to dry paraffin sections at first on a hot plate at 42°C for 1-2 h and then at 37°C over night. If you are doing routine stains like H&E or others you can melt the paraffin at 60°C for 10-15 min before you start the staining procedure with dewaxing in Xylene.
I would not recommand this when you are doing immunohistochemistry.
Best regards, Ute
Yes it does have chromic pottasium sulphate! Thanks Ute, Chris & Mohamed!
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