Simple desiccation method for SEM using dimethoxypropane

Abstract

A number of techniques such as critical point drying (the most commonly used method of drying cells and tissues), freeze-drying or freeze-substitution are available to process various tissues preparations for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Those techniques are more or less complicated (depending also on expensive equipments) and time consuming. While more simple air-drying from aqueous suspension or organic solvents can be used for some rigid biological specimen, it is generally not satisfactory for most tissues and biological objects. On the opposite, rapid and simple procedure using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) and air drying has been successfully applied to insect and mite tissues without observable artifacts. We have developed similar simple and rapid method using dimethoxypropane (DMP) and air drying. DMP has previously been used for chemical dehydration of tissues.