Hi Pam, I have worked with the little guys for a while now. The best way is to pre-embed in agar or histogel (although I have had a lot of bad luck with the histogel getting "crispy" in our processor). Put a small amount of agar in a small mold, like the tissue tek plastic molds, then align the flies in the orientation that you would like. Then just process the entire block of agar into paraffin and embed. They cut beautifully. Good luck, Jo Dee
~~Jo Dee Fish~~ Senior Research Technologist The J. David Gladstone Institutes Co-manager Histology and Microscopy Core Telephone: (415) 734-2567 Fax: (415) 355-0824 E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Mailing address: The J. David Gladstone Institutes 1650 Owens Street San Francisco, CA 94158 -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Peggy Bisher Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 8:34 AM To: Ingles Claire; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Histology and immuonhistochemistry of Drosophilaeyesections (OT) I have students here who have been doing cryo-sectioning of Drosophila. No one, has yet tried it in paraffin. Since they are very tiny flies, we have a contraption that allows us to orient the flies so that their heads are all in a row and we just cut a whole bunch at once. It looks like a slide with a long groove in it - just wide enough to fit their heads above it and the bodies hang down below. It seems to work just fine. Cheers, Peggy Margaret E. Bisher Electron Microscopy & Histology Core Facility Manager Department of Molecular Biology Princeton University Moffett Laboratory, Room 113 Princeton, New Jersey Office: (609) 258-7026 Fax: (609) 258-8468 [EMAIL PROTECTED] On 10/27/08 9:46 PM, "Ingles Claire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Fly's eyes? What about bee's knees? > Sorry it's almost 9pm. I'm fizzling out. > Claire :o > > ________________________________ > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of pam > johnson > Sent: Mon 10/27/2008 4:39 PM > To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > Subject: [Histonet] Histology and immuonhistochemistry of Drosophila > eyesections > > > > > I have been approached by an investigator?who wants us to do some work > on fly eyes. Has anyone had any experience with fly eyes in paraffin? > If so can you please share your protocols on processing and cutting. > Aren't they very crunchy? Do you process the whole head? > > ? > > Any information would be greatly appreciated. > > Thanks, > > > Pam Johnson, BS, HT (ASCP) > Lab Manager > Veterinary Pathology Core Lab > St. Jude Children's Research Hospital > 262 Danny Thomas Place > Memphis, TN? 38105-3678 > Office - 901-595-3355 > > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet > > > > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet