Histology Core
Core Summary
To provide services in paraffin histology for cells and tissues including embedding, sectioning, and routine staining to investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Work is done on a fee-for-service basis. Priority use is given to BIDMC investigators, but outside users are accepted.
Personnel /Contact Information
Facilities and Equipment
Major Equipment:
Equipment in the facility includes a Leica automatic tissue processor, Leicaautostainer, Leica embedding station, and Leica paraffin microtomes. Two qualified histotechnologists provide service in the histology facility, so turn-around time is rapid.
Services
Histology Core Facility provides routine paraffin services including processing, embedding, sectioning, and staining. Consultation service is also available to provide protocols and advice on tissue processing, embedding orientation, and routine or special staining. The Histology Core Facility is housed with the Microscopy Core Facility, which provides services in immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy.
Getting Started
When submitting tissues to the Histology Core Facility for processing, please mark all containers clearly, so that the labels are easy to read. Alternatively, tissues can be submitted in cassettes, which can be purchased from Fischer (Histosette Biopsy Cassettes, cat. #15182702A). If you would, please label all cassettes with #2 PENCIL*!!! Labels written with most commercial markers (including Sharpie) will dissolve in xylene or in fixative. Tissues can be submitted in the following solutions:
- 10% Phosphate (or neutral)-buffered Formalin
- 4% PFA (formaldehyde) in buffer
- Bouin solution
- PBS buffer
Formalin is the most basic fixative and is available from Fisher (10% phosphate-buffered formalin, cat. #SF100-4). Bouin solution is an old and rarely used fixative, but is still available from Sigma and Fisher. Formaldehyde fixative must be made fresh, from paraformaldehyde, and used with in a few days after preparation. The best source of fresh formaldehyde is Ted Pella, Inc, who sells sealed ampules of formaldehyde in different concentrations. After buffer washes for fixed tissues, PBS buffer should be used as a holding solution until tissues are further processed. Tissues in PFA fixative or in PBS buffer should be stored in the refrigerator.
When submitting tissues, please print and complete the Tissue Processing Sheet. On this form you can identify any special directions or embedding instructions, type of fixative used, how long tissues have been in fixative, number of slides needed, and any other special instructions you wish to provide for the histotechnologist.
* The Histology Core Facility is not responsible for labels lost to processing and will not re-label cassettes submitted in pen or sharpie.
