Charged superfrost microscope slides

Skin equivalents and human skin samples were fixed in 10% formalin (Sigma‐Aldrich), gradually dehydrated in ethanol (30–100%) and Histoclear (Thermo Fisher Scientific), and embedded in paraffin (Thermo Fisher Scientific) using plastic moulds (CellPath, Newton, UK) to allow for transverse sectioning. Using a microtome (LEICA RM2125RT), 5‐μm sections were transferred to charged superfrost microscope slides (Thermo Fisher Scientific).

Alvetex^® Scaffold 3D paraffin embedded samples were sectioned at 6 μm using a Leica Microtome RM2125RT and mounted onto charged superfrost microscope slides (ThermoFisher Scientific). Sections were deparaffinised in Histoclear and rehydrated. Slides were incubated in Mayer's haematoxylin (Sigma-Aldrich) for 5 min and rinsed in distilled water for 30 s before being incubated with alkaline alcohol for 30 s to ensure the nuclei appear blue. Samples were then dehydrated, before being incubated with eosin (Sigma-Aldrich) for 1 min and then further dehydrated and incubated in Histoclear for 3 min prior to mounting with DPX (ThermoFisher Scientific) ready for microscopy using a Leica ICC50 high definition camera mounted onto a Leica microscope.