Conventional specimen preparation techniques for scanning electron microscopy of biological specimens.

In this chapter, methods are described for preparing biological specimens for examination in the scanning electron microscope. Conventional procedures are described for handling cells grown in liquid culture as well as on substrates such as culture dishes, slide culture chambers, or agar. These protocols may be used to process not only cultured organisms but also larger botanical and zoological specimens.

Conventional specimen preparation techniques for transmission electron microscopy of cultured cells.

In this chapter, we discuss conventional methods for handling cells grown suspended in liquid culture and on solid substrates. Protocols are given on how to prepare cultures for transmission electron microscopy, including the most commonly used buffers, fixatives, enrobement media, and embedding resins. These methods are suitable for a wide variety of organisms, ranging from prokaryotic bacteria to mammalian cells.

Study of cellulases from a newly isolated thermophilic and cellulolytic Brevibacillus sp. strain JXL.

A potentially novel aerobic, thermophilic, and cellulolytic bacterium designated as Brevibacillus sp. strain JXL was isolated from swine waste. Strain JXL can utilize a broad range of carbohydrates including: cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), xylan, cellobiose, glucose, and xylose.

Conventional specimen preparation techniques for scanning electron microscopy of biological specimens.

This chapter covers conventional methods for preparing biological specimens for examination in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Techniques for handling cells grown in liquid culture, as well as on substrates such as culture dishes, slide culture chambers or agar, are discussed. These methods may be used to process most cultured organisms as well as whole botanical and zoological specimens.

Processing biological tissues for ultrastructural study.

Biological tissues are passed through numerous procedures before they can be studied at the ultrastructural level with the electron microscope. Chemical fixation is widely used as a method for preserving structural detail and can be performed by simple immersion or total body vascular perfusion. A 2 to 4% solution of glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.

Conventional specimen preparation techniques for transmission electron microscopy of cultured cells.

This chapter covers the conventional methods and considerations for preparing cultured cells for examination in the transmission electron microscope. Techniques for handling cells grown in liquid culture, as well as on substrates such as culture dishes or agar, are discussed. Directions are given on how to prepare the most commonly used buffers, fixatives, enrobement media, and embedding resins.

Protocell-like microspheres from thermal polyaspartic acid.

One of the most prominent amino acids to appear in monomer-generating origin-of-life experiments is aspartic acid. Hugo Schiff found in 1897 that aspartic acid polymerizes when heated to form polyaspartylimide which hydrolyzes in basic aqueous solution to form thermal polyaspartic acid which is a branched polypeptide. We recently reported at the ISSOL 2005 Conference that commercially made thermal polyaspartic acid forms microspheres when heated in boiling water and allowed to cool.

Encapsulation of uranyl acetate molecules using hollow polymer templates.

Crosslinking 4-mercaptostyrene ligands used to protect gold nanoclusters led to a core-shell structure containing a nanometer-sized gold center surrounded with a layer of polystyrene. Sodium cyanide etching of gold from these polymer/gold composite particles generated polymer nanocapsules that were used as hollow templates for encapsulation of uranyl acetate.