Fern Sorus

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

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Rudix
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Fern Sorus

Post by Rudix »

I have been playing around using epoxy resin to mount some subjects on slides, since the epoxy can be diluted with methanol/alcohol you can take the specimen direct from alcohol and it works fine.

Here is one of my "test" subjects, a Sorus removed from a fern in my garden.

First the whole Sorus, 4x objective, 23 image stack.

Image

A more detailed image, 20x objective, 73 image stack.

Image

20x objective, 68 image stack.

Image

Thanks for looking!
Rudi
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rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Very nice images!

I would be interested to hear more about the mounting procedure. I have a vision of the epoxy hardening before all the alcohol evaporates, with the long term result being voids or silvering in the mount. How do you avoid that problem?

--Rik

Rudix
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Post by Rudix »

rjlittlefield wrote:Very nice images!

I would be interested to hear more about the mounting procedure. I have a vision of the epoxy hardening before all the alcohol evaporates, with the long term result being voids or silvering in the mount. How do you avoid that problem?

--Rik
Hi Rik,

Thanks!

That is a good question! I might well end up with issues like that in the future. I am using a slow setting epoxy, takes about 8 hours to gel, depending on temperature and setting to full hardness in about 36 hours, it can be adjusted to some degree by controlling temperature and using different formulations of the hardener.

What I have also been doing is to only add the cover-slip after a hour or more thinking that that should allow enough time for the alcohol to evaporate.

Time will tell, the oldest slides are only 1 week old!

Thanks for the comment,
Rudi
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Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Is the cover slip necessary?

Rudix
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Post by Rudix »

Lou Jost wrote:Is the cover slip necessary?
Maybe not but it allows for easy control of the thickness of the epoxy layer and to get it level. Maybe also needed for the optical path?
Rudi

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Ah, so the whole sorus is embedded in epoxy? Have you ever applied this technique to a bigger thing? I am always looking for better ways tophotograph alcohol-preserved flowers (I have 8000 of them, many new to science)..

Rudix
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Post by Rudix »

Lou Jost wrote:Ah, so the whole sorus is embedded in epoxy? Have you ever applied this technique to a bigger thing? I am always looking for better ways tophotograph alcohol-preserved flowers (I have 8000 of them, many new to science)..
Yes, it is embedded in epoxy.

I have used a similar technique in the past for spiders, some quite large and it works well. If you use the right epoxy it is totally clear like glass even in large amounts.

With larger volumes you have to be aware of heat generation during the setting process but you can control it with a bit of care and by selecting a slow setting formulation.

The epoxies I am using are normally used in aviation, I simply use them because I already have some I use when building and repairing experimental aircraft and drones.

I am sure you can make it work for flowers! I think I must try....

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Post by Smokedaddy »

Wow, very nice and very interesting.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Can you give a source for this epoxy?

I would need to use it not for live flowers but for tiny, complex orchid flowers preserved in alcohol. Though it would be interesting to see what would happen with live flowers too, as a future sampling protocol.

Rudix
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Post by Rudix »

Lou Jost wrote:Can you give a source for this epoxy?

I would need to use it not for live flowers but for tiny, complex orchid flowers preserved in alcohol. Though it would be interesting to see what would happen with live flowers too, as a future sampling protocol.
Sure, below is the one I used, it is slightly yellow like most slide mount media, I used it simply because I had some.

http://www.amtcomposites.co.za/products ... ing-system

The one in the link below might be more suitable as it is completely clear.

http://www.amtcomposites.co.za/products ... ing-system

There are many similar epoxy resins available around the world, the main thing I found was that the laminating resins are designed to "wet" the glass or carbon strands, this also helps with small objects as you have less chance of air bubbles.

Hope you can get it working for you, please keep us updated!
Rudi
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Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

Thank you very much. I visit the US in a month and can get it then. Will let you know how it turns out, for sure. (I won't be able to test it until June though.)

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Post by Lou Jost »

Doesn't look like the brand you use will be easy to get in the US....will look for substitutes.

Rudix
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Post by Rudix »

Lou Jost wrote:Doesn't look like the brand you use will be easy to get in the US....will look for substitutes.
When I was in the USA working on an aircraft project we used the resin in the link below, it is similar to what I use now and popular in the USA.

http://www.westsystem.com/ss/epoxy-resins-and-hardeners
Rudi

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

That's a great help! Thank you Rudi.

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