Use of a Right Triangle Chip and Its Engraved Shape as a Transferrable x-y Coordinate System from Light Microscopy to Electron Microscopy

A right triangle chip was prepared by cutting a rectangular polystyrene plate (0.3 mm(t)) that was produced by the ejection of melted polystyrene into a metal mold. The chip was attached on the inside bottom of a culture dish. In light microscopy, the x-y coordinates of several HeLa single-cells were registered by referring to the x-y axes that were defined as the 2 lines forming the right angle. After fixation of these cells and resin embedding, the epoxy block containing cell specimen was peeled off from the culture dish by heating at 145 degrees C for 5 min. Then the right triangle chip was separated by heating again at 145 degrees C for 3 min. The engraved right triangle was used as an x-y coordinate system in electron microscopy. The target HeLa cells registered initially in light microscopy could be found shortly in electron microscopy. The right triangle chip and its engraved shape could be used as an x-y coordinate system transferrable from light microscopy to electron microscopy. (C) The Electrochemical Society of Japan, All rights reserved.