Tissue Staining

Tissue staining services provided by the Pathology Research Core at Mayo Clinic include IHC/IF, RNA-ISH, H&E staining and slide review.

The Pathology Research Core provides a wide variety of tissue staining services for investigators, including:

  • Routine IHC/IF. Automated immunostaining is performed using a variety of antibody detection chemistries, including diaminobenzidine (DAB) and alkaline phosphatase for use with Brightfield microscopy and conjugated fluorophores for fluorescent microscopy.
  • IHC/IF optimization. Optimization is the process of enhancing the strength and specificity of the signal generated by the immunological and enzymatic staining reactions while suppressing noise and artifacts. Antibody concentrations are titrated to achieve the best signal to noise ratio and visualization techniques are selected based on the tissue type and sensitivity needed to produce optimal results.
  • RNA-ISH staining. Automated RNA in situ hybridization (RNA-ISH) is performed with probes for target mRNA and signal amplifiers visible by both Brightfield and fluorescent microscopy.
  • Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The H&E is the most commonly used stain for pathology diagnosis. Hematoxylin is used as the nuclear stain. Eosin stains erythrocytes, cytoplasm and other tissue elements.
  • Slide review. Slides are reviewed by a pathologist or cytotechnologist.