Using low temperatures to fix samples

[kinase]

There's one particular algae I have that doesn't take so well to formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, or any other fixing agent I've tried. They usually just explode when I add anything. So far I've been able to stun them with nickel sulfate but that irritates them a bit too. Has anybody tried just throwing a sample in the fridge and killing it with the cold? I figure maybe that will keep them from exploding. I have a regular fridge at 4C, a -20C, and a -80C, and also liquid nitrogen. I've never flash frozen a sample before but I suspect rapid warming won't be good for it, if only I had a cryo stage. Maybe I'll flash freeze it, then move it to the -80C, then -20C, then 4C, then a bucket of ice in the lab. I'll be intending to photograph some pretty small organisms with a 100x NA 1.4 lens with DIC.

[75RR]

I am afraid I can't help with that but looking forward to your results.