07 Jul Staining tissue sections on TEM grids
The mPrep System streamlines the entire tissue preparation and grid staining workflow.
Problems
Staining tissue sections on grids requires using fine forceps to transfer grids into grid boxes, onto stain droplets or staining apparatuses, back into grid boxes, and eventually onto the TEM stage. As a result, microscopists experience multiple challenges:
- Grids are easily damaged
- Handling grids is tedious
- Grids are easily lost or mixed up
- Difficulty achieving uniform staining times across multiple grids
- Stains exposed to air can be contaminated, precipitate, and evaporate
mPrep solutions
- Encapsulated grids reduce handling and damage.
- Grids may only be directly handled at the microtome and the microscope
- Grids in mPrep/g capsules are always labeled
- Simultaneous processing assures uniform timing
- Enclosed capsules reduce and can even eliminate air exposure
Learn more about staining tissue sections on TEM grids in the application notes below.
Heart (TEM)

Brain - Vampire bat (TEM)

Required
mPrep/g capsules to hold TEM grids
mPrep/f couplers to prevent introducing damaging reagents into pipettors
Pipettor (such as a Gilson P200 volume) to enable reagent pipetting into mPrep/s capsules
Recommended
Reagent reservoirs
Microwell plates
mPrep/Bench to seal capsule bottoms during long reagent treatments
Gilson Pipetman Neo (P200) pipettors bundled with mPrep/g capsules
mPrep/g Pipettor Kit single-channel
- Single-channel pipettor
- mPrep/s capsule pack
- 96 pipette tips
mPrep/g Pipettor Kit eight-channel
- Eight-channel pipettor
- mPrep/g capsule pack
- 96 pipette tips
Publications
Capsule-Based Processing and Handling of Electron Microscopy Specimens and Grids (Microscopy Today 2015)
Improving the Reliability, Ease, and Efficiency of Section Staining in a Diagnostic Laboratory with the mPrep/g System for TEM Grid Processing (Microscopy & Microanalysis 2015)
Automated, Programmable Processing of Specimens and Grids with the mPrep ASP-1000 (Microscopy & Microanalysis 2015)
Easier and Safer Biological Staining: High Contrast UranyLess Staining of TEM Grids using mPrep/g Capsules (Microscopy & Microanalysis 2015)
Reducing Reagent Consumption and Improving Efficiency of Specimen Fixation and Embedding, Grid Staining and Archiving using mPrep™ Capsule Processing (Microscopy & Microanalysis 2011)
Videos
This video tutorial demonstrates how to use mPrep capsules with multi-channel pipettors and common lab ware to simultaneously deliver reagents to multiple specimens and grids. The video demonstrates TEM fixation and embedding. Reagent processing procedures are similar for all specimen types and for grids with mPrep capsules .
6 minutes 4 seconds
Instructions
Instructions for using mPrep/g capsules for staining sections on grids with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.
Instructions for using mPrep/g capsules for grid handling and processing.
This technical note introduces using mPrep capsule labeling for tracking specimens and grids with a data management system. Topics addressed include mPrep labels, 2D datamatrix barcodes, barcode readers and laboratory information management systems.
A graphical display illustrating how to load grids into mPrep/g capsules, and how to use pipettors to stain or label grids. Use this guide as a lab reference poster.
mPrep grid products
mPrep™ CPD Holder
Holds up to 6 mPrep/s or mPrep/g capsules in Tousimis® CPD apparatus
Product SKU: 33010$225.00
ASP-1000™ mPrep Automatic Specimen Processor
Programable specimen and grid preparation. Request a Quotation
Product SKU: ASP100096-well Plates – 500ul per well
96-well plates, polypropylene, round wells with U-bottom, 10/sleeve
Product SKU: 51001$39.00
12-Channel Reagent Reservoir – Single pack
12-channel reagent reservoir, polypropylene
Product SKU: 52501$7.59
mPrep/g™ Pipettor Kit eight-channel
eight-channel pipettor, mPrep/g capsule pack, 96 pipette tips
Product SKU: 43200$691.00
mPrep/g™ Pipettor Kit single-channel
single-channel pipettor, mPrep/g capsule pack, 96 pipette tips
Product SKU: 43100$376.00
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.