Are you looking for a fixative or a preservative? What type of microbial
cells? Lugols solution works well for algal cells, and is a fixative. A
solution of 4.5% propylene glycol, 0.5% propylene phenoxitol, and 95%
deionized water (PPG) is a good preservative (especially for calcarious
zooplankton). It's not a good fixative though
There are a number of things that could be used, but formaldehyde and
glutaraldehyde give a good quick kill at relatively low concentrations,
without causing too much distortion of cells. Be careful with formalin
(and glut as well). They have a low vapor pressure, and are pretty
reactive when inhaled. Hope this helps. . . Russ
fuller at envirogen.com wrote:
> Does anyone know of a good substitute for substitutes for formaldehyde
> and glutaraldehyde. Looking to preserve microbial cells in aqueous
> samples, without getting cell autofluorescence (which glut sometimes
> causes). Formaldehyde seems to cause reduced direct counts of our
> cells.
>> Any leads much appreciated.
>> -Mark Fuller
>fuller at envirogen.com
--
Russ Bulluck
Ph.D. Candidate
Department of Plant Pathology
North Carolina State University
PO Box 7616
Raleigh, NC 27695-7616
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/plantpath/Personnel/Students/webpage.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The soil population is so complex that it manifestly cannot
be dealt with as a whole with any detail by any one person,
and at the same time it plays so important a part in the soil
economy that it must be studied.
--Sir E. John Russell
The Micro-organisms of the Soil, 1923
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