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Sample Preparation to Observe The Straight And Flat Posture of Silkworm Embryo under Scanning Electron Microscopy via Glycerol Substitution Method

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2014

Wenbin Liu ,
Chenzhao Li ,
Qi Zhang ,
Zhixin Lei ,
Yanqi Hou ,
Fangyin Dai  and
Cheng Lu
Wenbin Liu
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Chenzhao Li
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Qi Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Zhixin Lei
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Yanqi Hou
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Fangyin Dai
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
Cheng Lu*
Affiliation:
State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
*
*Corresponding author. lucheng@swu.edu.cn
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Abstract

In the preparation process for scanning electron microscopy (SEM), flexed silkworm embryos typically assume several curled shapes with irregular postures that obscure morphological details during SEM observation. We describe a preparation technique based on glycerol substitution for better SEM visualization of straight and flat silkworm embryos. Glycerol has high viscosity, low vapor pressure, and sufficient electrical conductivity. Silkworm embryos were infiltrated with glycerol and arranged in a straight posture or flattened using a cover slip. Samples were directly observed by SEM without additional dehydration, drying, or coating procedures. The complete ventral side could be easily viewed in one image. Recoating alleviated the charging phenomenon. This represents a simple method for preparation of straight and flat samples from curled biological specimens for SEM observation.

Keywords

SEM preparationsilkworm embryoglycerol substitution
Type
Techniques and Instrumentation Development
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 20 , Issue 3 , June 2014 , pp. 964 - 967
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2014 

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