Often referred  to  as    "squams", also  derived  from  flaky  scalps, i.e. dandruff!!. 

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Gayle Callis
Sent: 11 December 2006 16:56
To: Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] floaters

Yes, we all have had the problem at one time or another - excellent points about friable tissue.  I think one reply on Histonet, the tech used newpaper to skim the waterbath surface.  Make sure the paper is not overly fibrous paper, you don't need shreds of paper on top of your sections either.

One of the most annoying floaters comes from the microtomist. Epidemal cells from the skin exfoliate into the waterbath especially when you allow fingers to dip into the water, and then stain very nicely with the H&E, generally perched on your beautiful section.  Grip the slides on the edge 
or very ends to avoid this.   Pencil "lead" or graphite exfoliates black 
blobs on tissue sections, use a slightly harder lead, buy a slide labeler, or use a permanent pen designed for labeling glass slides/cassettes.

René brings up a good point about dirty forceps/heated forcep wells on embedding centers.  At one clinical lab, we wiped the forceps  between each block before returning to the well, and cleaned the wells daily.  We still saw the annoying skin cells though, so learn to not go 'fingerdipping" in the water bath.


Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367
406 994-4303 (FAX)



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