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Overview of Core Technology

Our core technology is a histological protocol that utilizes formalin-fixed and frozen tissues that are sectioned in cryoembedding medium and examined directly with fluorescence-equipped microscopes. It does not utilize either paraffin or plastic embedding protocols. The major advantage of this core technology is that the information can be generated from a single slide. This greatly enhances the speed of tissue processing, depth of information extraction and biological specificity of fluorescence signals all of which enables observer-independent image analysis and complete digitization of data. We believe the protocols and workflows that are described and applied on this site could become a unifying standard for the many laboratories across the world that study different aspects of skeletal biology and disease. All of the protocols have been developed for the mouse to enable research groups to take advantage of the genetic tools, reference mouse panels, specialized reagents and cost/breeding efficiencies that mice provide. Most of the protocols are adaptable to the rat and rabbit. We are just beginning to determine if they are applicable to human samples.