Week 8: Fixing and Blocking!

Hey everyone! This week was a little short as I was gone toward the end of the week for Admit Weekend at Stanford. However, on Monday, I was able to image the rOvaries once more before helping my advisor wash, “fix,” and “block” the rOvaries so we could stain and image them properly.

Fixing is a common technique in histology that involves adding reagents to the specimen (in our case, the ovary) to preserve the interactions between and organization of molecules within (it almost “glues” the molecules in place). Blocking usually involves adding blocking antibodies — but in our case, we use a compound called BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin) — that bind to an antigen to prevent the binding of other antibodies that are not specific to the antigen. The albumin binds to all the antigens. Only if an antibody is specific enough can it overcome the albumin binding and also bind to the antigen. Blocking helps to prevent unwanted reactions from occurring and with it, variability between experiments. Together, fixing and blocking help us produce clearer images! 

I shadowed my advisor as they imaged a previous set of reconstituted ovaries using confocal microscopy, while also starting to run some CellChat analysis. My advisor also brought the most delicious cookies and creme ice cream cake to celebrate my birthday with the rest of the lab! I had such an amazing time and am so grateful to have had them as my mentor and to be a part of this amazing lab 😀