Agarose imprints of plant cell surfaces for imaging

Features of epidermal cells such as cell shape or arrangement of stomata are best studied under the scanning electron microscope. However, the preparation and viewing of samples using electron microscopy can be relatively laborious. A quick alternative is to view epidermal imprints in agarose using Nomarski differential-interference contrast microscopy. This protocol describes a method for preparing agarose imprints of plant cell surfaces.