Submission Guidelines

Formalin fixed tissue:

Fixation should be carried out as soon as possible after removal of tissue to prevent autolysis. The most common fixative in use is 10% neutral buffered formalin.  For adequate fixation, the preferred thickness of tissue is 3 to 5 mm. Ideally the fixative should be ten times the volume of the tissue. Specimens need to be fixed for a minimum of 24 hours (longer for larger specimens) for adequate fixation before additional processing.

Once tissue is adequately fixed, bring them in to the lab for processing and further steps.  Make sure the specimen labels are easy to read and firmly adherent to the specimen containers. It is recommended that you place your tissues in tissue cassettes before submission to the Core Lab so that you are assured that you have the sections and labeling that you prefer. Trim the tissue such that it does not touch the sides of the cassette (do not compress the tissue). The thickness of the sections should be approximately the thickness of a nickel (0.2-0.5 cm) for proper fixation. Place the tissue with the surface you want to have sectioned face down in the tissue cassette and label the cassette yourself with a #2 pencil (not more than 6 characters). DO NOT LABEL THE CASSETTE WITH FELT-TIP MARKER, since the writing will be removed during processing. You can collect the cassettes you need from the Core Lab, as necessary.

Please let us know any special instructions to be followed for your sample in terms of  trimming, processing and sectioning.

New users are encouraged to contact the Core Lab to discuss their objectives and sample requirements before harvesting samples, as well as for advice on best tissue harvesting and fixation methods.

Immunohistochemistry:

For each submission we request that you submit positive and negative controls (tissues, slides or blocks) along with the primary antibody.

Cryosectioning:

Soon after the tissue is dissected, place it in the labeled mold with OCT medium and flash-freeze in a bath of isopentanethat is  immersed in liquid nitrogen or dry ice. Orientation of the tissue needs to be considered before freezing. Frozen tissue should be stored in -80C until it is sectioned.

Any deviation from the above protocol is to be mentioned in the service request form.  We can help you to determine the best method for demonstrating the particular antigen of interest in a specific tissue.