Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: "New Invention for Improving Quality of Microscopic Images of Herbal Tissues"

Home > Press > New Invention for Improving Quality of Microscopic Images of Herbal Tissues

Abstract:
Researchers from Chemistry Group of Lorestan University in Western Iran filed a patent entitled "Fixative of Polymerized Carbon Nanotubes Encapsulating Osmium Nanoparticles for Biological Tissue" in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

New Invention for Improving Quality of Microscopic Images of Herbal Tissues

Tehran, Iran | Posted on December 18th, 2011

The important point in the mentioned development is that the minimum amount of tissue degradation happens when this nanocomposite is used.

"In this research, we capsulated osmium nanoparticles on the surface of multi walled carbon nanotubes through a number of chemical reactions. Then we used the obtained compound as a new fixative in the stabilization of herbal tissues for SEM imaging," Dr. Nahid Sarlak, a member of the Scientific Board of Chemistry Group of Lorestan University, told INIC.

"The observation of SEM images of two herbal tissues stabilized by using 1% solution of OsO4 and the obtained nanocomposite clearly showed that the magnification of images in the sample stabilized with the nanocomposite increased significantly. Moreover, considerable decrease was observed in the degradation of the plant tissue in comparison with the normal state (the use of 1% solution of OsO4 for the stabilization of herbal tissue). Therefore, the new nanocomposite can be a substitute for 1% solution of OsO4 for the stabilization of the living tissues, including herbal and animal ones."

Bufferized OsO4 is one of the most important fixatives for the stabilization of various tissues. It is also used as a paint pigment in TEM test for the image contrast, and as a coating agent substitute in SEM test. This compound puts directly a heavy metal into the cellular membrane and creates high diffusion of the secondary electron without using the membrane coating with a metallic layer that makes the cellular membrane details unclear and turbid.

"This project is very innovative and the use of this nanocomposite for the stabilization of biological tissues in TEM and SEM studies results in the better and more precise understanding of various herbal and animal tissues and more extended investigations can be carried out in this field," Dr. Sarlak continued.

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