Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM) of Biological Tissue Samples
09:21

Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (SBF-SEM) of Biological Tissue Samples

Published on: March 26, 2021

A review of rapid microwave fixation technology: its expanding niche in morphologic studies

G R Login1, A M Dvorak

  • 1Department of Pathology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.

Scanning
|March 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Standardized microwave (MW) fixation protocols improve reproducibility and speed up sample preservation. This method enables rapid, high-quality fixation for ultrastructural immunogold labeling and cellular analysis.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Cell Biology
  • Histology

Background:

  • Microwave (MW) fixation offers rapid preservation of cell structure and antigenicity compared to chemical methods.
  • Commercial MW ovens often yield irreproducible fixation results due to limitations.
  • Standardization is crucial for reliable MW fixation in research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and present a standardized protocol for reproducible MW fixation using household MW ovens.
  • To introduce a prototypic MW device for enhanced precision in sample irradiation.
  • To optimize MW fixation for ultrastructural immunolabeling and cellular analysis.

Main Methods:

  • Standardization protocol including magnetron warm-up, water load, agar/saline/Giemsa model for irradiation uniformity, and specimen container dimensions (<1.5 cm).
  • Fast specimen handling to prevent post-irradiation conductive heating artifacts.
  • Utilized aldehyde- or osmium-containing solutions during MW irradiation for optimal morphologic preservation (up to 1 cm³ specimens).

Main Results:

  • The protocol ensures reproducible MW fixation, significantly faster than traditional methods.
  • A prototypic MW device achieved millisecond fixation for tissue blocks and cell suspensions.
  • Aldehyde or osmium solutions enhanced morphologic preservation during MW fixation.
  • Successfully localized granule chymase, histamine in rat mast cells, and amylase in rat parotid acinar cells using MW fixation and immunogold labeling.

Conclusions:

  • The presented standardization protocol enhances the reliability and speed of MW fixation.
  • MW fixation is a viable and efficient method for ultrastructural immunolabeling.
  • Optimized MW fixation enables precise localization of cellular components.

More Related Videos

Rapid Freezing using Sandwich Freezing Device for Good Ultrastructural Preservation of Biological Specimens in Electron Microscopy09:03

Rapid Freezing using Sandwich Freezing Device for Good Ultrastructural Preservation of Biological Specimens in Electron Microscopy

Published on: July 19, 2021

Expansion Microscopy: High-Resolution Fluorescent Imaging with a Conventional Microscope08:53

Expansion Microscopy: High-Resolution Fluorescent Imaging with a Conventional Microscope

Published on: December 19, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Fixation and Sectioning01:03

Fixation and Sectioning

Two basic types of preparation are used to visualize specimens with a light microscope: wet mounts and fixed specimens.
The simplest type of preparation is the wet mount, in which the specimen is placed in a drop of liquid on the slide. A liquid specimen can be directly deposited on the slide using a dropper. Solid specimens, such as skin scraping, can be placed on the slide before adding a drop of liquid to prepare the wet mount. Sometimes the liquid is simply water, but stains are often added...
Rapid Identification of Pathogens01:25

Rapid Identification of Pathogens

MALDI-TOF MS has transformed clinical microbiology by offering a rapid and reliable method for pathogen identification. The traditional approach to microbial identification typically involves time-consuming culture techniques and biochemical tests, which can delay the initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy. MALDI-TOF MS avoids these delays by using characteristic ribosomal protein mass patterns of microbial cells, enabling accurate species-level identification within minutes.Principle...