General FAQs MMI CellCut Plus/MMI SmartCut Plus
Can I isolate single cells with the MMI Laser Microdissection?
- Yes, you can. The superior image quality and high precision of the laser allows you to cut single cells or even isolate chromosomes or other cell organelles.
Can I isolate RNA from microdissected cells?
- Yes, you can. But be sure to check the quality and quantity of RNA present in the sample block before cutting sections for use with microdissection Application Protocols.
Your system is using the membrane slides – can I grow mammalian cells on the slides?
- Yes, you can. The membrane can be treated with Poly-L-Lysine to enhance the cell growth and adhesion.
I am interested in isolating live cells from a cell culture. Can I use microdissection?
- MMI developed a dedicated cell chamber specifically for the microdissection of live cells under sterile conditions. Application Protocols.
Your metal slides are not suitable for microwave. What should I do if I want to work with immunohistological samples?
- Use a steamer or a water bath. Application Protocols.
Is your system suitable for Paraffin samples?
- Yes, it is. The membrane is resistant to Xylol. In general you can use the membrane slides in the same way as a glass slide.
Your system is using isolation caps. Will the adhesive film interfere with the DNA/RNA extraction process? And how can I recover the cut out areas from the adhesive film?
- The isolation cap is produced by adding silicone plugs into the cap of standard tubes, there is no adhesive film. The is totally inert and so will not influence with PCR. The results of an independent quality study confirmed the stability of the silicone caps. In downstream processing, to extract the dissected objects from the cap add some lysis buffer, turn the tube upside down and shake or gently vortex it.
Will the laser damage the surrounding tissue?
- We are using a UV laser with a wave length of approx. 350 nm, DNA/RNA and water absorption is minimal at this wavelength. The laser cutting width is less than 1 µm, thus the target cells are not affected by the laser beam. Even live cells are not damaged by the laser cutting and are viabale after cutting for cloning and reculturing as appropriate.
What is the recommended thickness of the sample?
- We recommend 8 µm for frozen and 5 µm for paraffin section but the instrument can easily be used for samples upto 30 microns.
How many areas can I choose for cutting?
- You can mark as many objects as you want – you can even choose areas which are not within the viewing field. The system will automatically cut one object after the other and you can even program the collection to ensure that all the samples are separated on the cap.