I would like to thank Gayle for all of the information she has gathered
regarding the Nova Red staining.  Some of the discussion raised some good
questions and concerns, especially for me.  Number one lesson learned, it is
important to  read all of the specification sheets...and if there are any
questions be sure to call the company!

I have been using Nova Red and Vector Blue for double staining and have had
beautiful results.  The specification sheet for Vector Blue says "avoid xylene
based clealing agents and mounting media.  Dehydrate sections, clear in a xylene
substitute clearing agent such as Histoclear or Clear-rite 3 and mount in a
non-xylene based mounting media, such as VectaMount."  This has been the
procedure I have been following.  Thanks to Gayle's information I discovered a
discrepancy among Vector's spec sheets;  the specification for VectaMount that
states "Not compatable with Clear-rite."   Opps!   Of Course, I had not read
that sheet!   The good news is, I called Vector and they assured me that the
Nova Red would not fade.  The potential problem with the Clearite 3 and
VectaMount combination is a potential loss of clarity in the tissue section.
For better resolution, Vector recommended using Permount to coverslip with.

So far, my double staining results with Vector Blue and Nova Red have been very
good.  I would recommend the combination.  The only thing I will probably change
will be my choice of mounting media for better resolution of the tissue
sections.

Thanks,
Kathy