Hello! Is there a cheap and simple way to make tardigrades' surface opaque, so that cuticle morphology can be easily observed, obtaining images somewhat similar to SEM electron microscopy?
In principle, I could use vacuum sputter coaters that deposit gold or palladium or carbon on samples for SEM. But those are expensive and an overkill. I don't need the nanometric grain size that electron scope needs. Optical scope has far lower resolution.
So I was rather thinking about some DIYable method for coating a dry sample. Soot from candle flame? Inks? Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks!
Edit: Has anyone observed in an optical scope a biological sample (insect, bacterium, tardigrade...), that has actually been sputter coated for later observation in an SEM? What did it look like?
Making tardigrades opaque
Re: Making tardigrades opaque
I can't help with your main question, but I had remembered a thread from the past where a person (Horace Dall) had been coating diatoms
https://www.microbehunter.com/microscop ... =6&t=15458
https://www.microbehunter.com/microscop ... =6&t=15458
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Re: Making tardigrades opaque
Maybe an airbrush of the kind model-makers use
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination
Re: Making tardigrades opaque
I recently came across this very interesting paper on “Silver Staining”
https://www.ableweb.org/biologylabs/wp- ... ggoner.pdf
… should be very suitable.
MichaelG.
https://www.ableweb.org/biologylabs/wp- ... ggoner.pdf
… should be very suitable.
MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'