Tissue embedding in a silica hydrogel for functional investigations
Embedding procedures can be challenging for delicate specimens. We present a method based on a sodium metasilicate (waterglass) gel to embed tissue samples for acute physiological studies. We show that the application of such a colloidal gel has minimal effects on the properties of buffered solutions and cell activity, allowing functional investigations on sensitive cells such as ciliated insect olfactory neurons.
neuroscience↗