This video is the presentation by Prof Margaret McCully from CSIRO - please contact Tamara Howlett for more information
This presentation took place at the NWGIC on Tuesday 18 August 2009.
Prof Margaret McCully from CSIRO presented a seminar titled 'Use and advantages of living, unembedded cells, tissues and organs'
Summary
There are many relatively simple ways to observe structure and related processes in plants. These methods include, hand-cut, or vibrotome-cut sections of fresh tissue combined with specific staining methods, tissue clearing, macerations, use of tracers etc. Most are generally quick and inexpensive. They may provide answers to questions about particular plant processes being studied without the difficulties and limitations of fixation, embedment and sectioning. Importantly, they allow an initial overview which provides for a rational selection of specific regions for fixation and embedment if necessary, and for the interpretation of sectioned material thus obtained. One or more of these methods should always be used before embarking on any study using chemically-fixed and embedded material.
Observations of living cells can alert one to the fact that fixed and embedded materials, however apparently well preserved, yield images of killed and structurally altered cells, and should always be interpreted with these changes in mind.
Specialized optics, e.g. polarizing, DIC (Nomarski), phase contrast, dark field or fluorescence, on relatively simple microscopes can greatly enhance the information obtainable from simple preparations. Of particular importance is the use of fluorescence optics. Plants contain a remarkable array of fluorescent components not only in cell walls, but also in plastids, and particularly in cell vacuoles. Many of these molecules (e.g. chlorophyll, lignin, phenolics) can be identified in situ by their inherent autofluorescence. Other molecules can be located by the application of specific fluochromes (e.g. aniline blue for callose, DAPI and ethidium bromide for DNA).
Examples of the use of simple preparations combined with effective microscopy will be presented with emphasis on their importance for both teaching and research.
For more information please contact Dr Suzy Rogiers: suzy.rogiers@dpi.nsw.gov.au