Cpd 030 dryer

For SEM analysis, anthers were critical point dried in a Balzers CPD 030 dryer (Balzers, Liechtenstein), mounted on aluminum stubs with colloidal carbon, coated with gold in a Bal Tec SCD 050 sputter coater, and observed with a Jeol JSM 6610LV scanning electron microscope (Tokyo, Japan).

The morphological properties of the E. coli and P. aeruginosa were assessed for bacteria prepared according the macro-dilution procedure previously described for Live/Dead testing. The bacteria were fixed in 1% formaldehyde and 0.5% glutaraldehyde in a 0.1- M phosphate buffer solution, post-fixed using a 1% aqueous solution of osmium-tetroxide for 1 hour, dehydrated in 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, 90% and 100% ethanol solutions and dried using the critical-point drying method in a CPD030 dryer (Balzers). Before the SEM examination the samples were coated with a 3-nm layer of platinum in a sputter-coater SCD 050 (BAL-TEC).

For SEM exams, the samples were dehydrated in an ethanol series, critical-point-dried in a Bal-Tec CPD 030 dryer (Balzers, Liechtenstein), mounted on metal stubs, adhered to carbon adhesive tape, and covered with gold in a Bal-Tec SCD 050 sputter coater. Observations and illustrations were performed using a scanning electron microscope (Zeiss EVO-50, Cambridge, UK) at 15 kV.
After surface analysis (SEM), some stages were chosen for evaluation by light microscopy (LM). Samples were dehydrated in an ethanol series and embedded in histological resin [54 ], and transverse and longitudinal 3–3.5 μm thick sections were obtained with a rotary microtome (Leica RM 2245, Wetzlar, Germany). The sections were stained with toluidine blue in phosphate buffer (pH 5.8) [55 (link)] and mounted in water. Observations and illustrations were obtained using a Leica DM 4500 B LM connected to a Leica DFC 320 digital camera. Scales were determined under the same optical conditions.