If these are glandular trichomes, what are they secreting? You could have a fluorescent antibody dye made to stain that specific product.
Alternatively, put a grid reticle in your eyepiece to make it easier to do. Also, if you just don't have time to sit and count, maybe you could get an undergraduate who has some interest in botany to sit and count the things for you. Just test the student's accuracy by having them count reticles on 3-4 pictures for which you have already counted the the trichomes. If they are around 99% correct, you can let them do the counting. Then put them on as a coauthor and you might just stimulate one to become a scientist. IF not, at least you will get your trichomes counted!!! :) I did this kind of thing with frog blood cells as a phd student. In the end, the student decided he wanted to be a pharmacist instead. But at least he knew he didn't want to do research. This is every bit as important as finding who wants to do it! :) Malcolm On Wed, Jan 5, 2011 at 9:41 AM, Scott Chamberlain <scham...@rice.edu> wrote: > Hello, > > I have thousands of leaf discs from Helianthus annuus (see image at this > link: http://web.me.com/scott_c1/Scott_Chamberlain/Other.html). I need to > count the glandular trichomes (both the ones with and without glands on the > end, i.e., the long hairs, and the white blobs) on the leaf discs. Ideally > this would be an automated process using e.g., ImageJ. However, ImageJ is > having a hard time discerning the trichomes from the rest of the leaf > material. Here is my question: > > Does anyone know how to stain just glandular trichomes, and not the > remaining leaf material? With this, I could (more) easily count glandular > trichomes in ImageJ. > > > > Sincerely, > > Scott Chamberlain > Rice University, EEB Dept. > -- Malcolm L. McCallum Managing Editor, Herpetological Conservation and Biology "Peer pressure is designed to contain anyone with a sense of drive" - Allan Nation 1880's: "There's lots of good fish in the sea" W.S. Gilbert 1990's: Many fish stocks depleted due to overfishing, habitat loss, and pollution. 2000: Marine reserves, ecosystem restoration, and pollution reduction MAY help restore populations. 2022: Soylent Green is People! Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message.
