Matthew R. Ibbs MSc BSc FIBMS asks:

>>The Prof. in our department has asked me to try to find a method of marking 
excision margins that uses Starch.  He says he last saw this method in Sweden 
some years ago and liked it because the crystals make the margins very easy 
to see.<<

As a pathologist working in a lot of different labs, I've seen a lot of 
different marking techniques - I recommend india ink, or Davidson's marking 
inks for multiple colors. And I'm quite sure I've never heard of starch being 
used for this purpose.

Starch granules differ depending on what plant they originate in, so the kind 
of starch would need to be specified.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Knoxville TN