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Hello from Michigan

Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:18 am
by Valerius
I'm Andrew, from Michigan's upper peninsula. I've been a nurse for decades, and always enjoyed the labwork from my college days, but never get to do it in my day-to-day work. I just bought my first non-toy microscope, a Lumeon 597T Trinocular with a five-lens turret that fortunately was on a bit of discount, and I'm in the process of setting up a home lab to do some experiments with blood. Just finished doing the first blood smears I've done in thirty years, and with the help of a quik-dip kit, they actually turned out somewhat presentable. Looking to add a microtome, ideally an AO 820 since I used one in school, and the various odds and ends to embed and stain tissue. Looking forward to seeing how other folks here have found and/or made equipment.

Re: Hello from Michigan

Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:32 am
by MicroBob
Hi Andrew,
welcome to the forum!
Your professional backgroud will probably help you a lot to get started with your home microscopy lab. Perhaps you can even purchase chemicals over you employer. In our microscopy group a woman who teaches medical lab assistents has prepared a couple of meetings and the topics were very popular. So I hope you will report on your progress and activities here. The paraffine embedding for the use of the rotary microtome is a bit fiddly at home lab level. There are quite a few things to arrange and processes to optimize and adhere to. I have just finished embedding a little flower bud in paraffine and know now that I have to prepare better.

Bob

Re: Hello from Michigan

Posted: Wed Dec 18, 2019 5:41 pm
by Dave S
Hi Andrew, and welcome. :)