Hi,
    The problem with using adhesives in a floatbath is the charge of the slide
vs. the tissue section. Sialinized slides have a (+) charge in relation to the
tissue section which is (-) with respect to the slide. Adhesives are usually
neutrally charged.
    When you pick up a section using adhesive you are actually sandwiching a
neutral charged layer between the (+) slide and the (-) section. The adhesive
reduces the effect of the silanized slides and hence defeats the purpose of
using the charged slides at all.
    I hope this helps. Just for kicks set up a second float bath one with
adhesive one with out, and test them side by side. You dont need to do this
with the whole run, just a few that usually try to fall off. Bear in mind two
points 1) sometimes the sections will still fall off just because they are
stubborn and want to make you curse. 2) there will always be idiosyncrasies
making each lab individual so you may find that Amos guy is completely lost and
it makes no difference to you at all.
keep us posted
Amos Brooks
ps: I may have duplicated this message if I did I apologize in advance :-)

kkdulany@unmc.edu wrote:

> I have a question.  We use sialanized slides that we dip ourselves for our
> immunos,  BUT since we are cutting slides for H&E's also, we use the same
> waterbath and it has gelatin in it.  Someone said to never use any other
> adhesive in the  waterbath.  My question is "why not"?  We don't have any
> trouble with any thing coming off the slides, and don't have any unspecific
> staining due to gelatin.
> Karen Dulany  HTL(ASCP)
> Eppley Institute for Cancer Research
> Omaha, NE