One more candidate.  Vibratome(tm) company has recently begun offering
"HISTOMER", a water based polymer available as powder.  When quickly
mixed with water and poured around the tissue it sets up firmly in a
couple minutes.  It will dry out with several hours exposure to air, but
can be used for quick grossing or microtome sectioning.  Tissue can be
oriented in the Histomer prior to curing to cut in defined places with
the aid to cutting guides offered by Vibratome(tm) Company.

http://www.myneurolab.com/mnl/mnlsite/ViewProduct.asp?idproduct=441619&c
atdesc=Histology+Equipment&subcatdesc=Other+Tissue+Dissection+Equipment&
idsubcategory=189

Cordially,

Charles W.  Scouten, Ph.D.
myNeuroLab.com
5918 Evergreen Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63134
Ph: 314 522 0300  
FAX  314 522 0277
cwscouten@myneurolab.com
www.myneurolab.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Nita Searcy [mailto:NSEARCY@swmail.sw.org] 
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 2:10 PM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Agar vs. Histogel

Grossing aide uses agar on small biopsies. The lab has used histogel in
the past and discontinued because "it crumbeled" . Anyone else have same
problem? 
Any other vendor supply agar that is premade?
Trying to save some time--
Thanks