I don't see the need for agar at all.  When I first worked at  the Queens
Medical Center in Honolulu, the techs were using agar for processing
fragmented biopsies a long standing practice.   The problem was if the agar
didn't cure properly for WHATEVER  reason, it would be a bear to cut.  Most of
the time, the fragments were not on the same plane in the agar, anyway.    A
good wrap job with lens or other appropriate paper and good embedding technic
eliminated the long standing belief in agar.
Jackie O'


                                                                                                               
                    Nita Searcy                                                                                
                               cc:                                                                   
                                         Subject:     Agar                                                     
                    08/29/2002                                                                                 
                    12:45 PM                                                                                   
                                                                                                               
                                                                                                               




Need some aid. Does anyone use agar to support small tissues before embedding?
If so, can you share a recipe? I have little experience with formulas, how to
make, etc.
The process has been in place for some time here but too often, I hear
complaints like "agar is difficult to cut today." 3 gms of agar in 100 cc NBF
heated. Any ideas?
Thanks