Fixation on Histology

I have made my career in various research academic and CRO laboratories performing specialized hard tissue histology, ophthalmology research, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy.  Even though I work within a relatively small specialized vision and ophthalmology research core lab, attending the 2023 NSH Convention – with the support of the NSH Convention Travel Poster Award I received valuable insights into areas I might otherwise not have a chance to explore. 

Attending the 2023 NSH Convention allowed me to attend various sessions within the research and clinical fields.  Each talk was expertly succinct, informative, and insightful with adequate time for Q&A.  This year I attended sessions on the developing field of multiplex assays and imaging for spatial biology, an interesting talk on 3D printing technology for designing and building custom apparatus, and a session on single cell analysis methods from tissue sections – to name a few.  And the workshops I attended have benefitted me and our core lab as a whole! Reviewing our core labs methods and technology in context to what other research labs have established helps me to assess our current methods, workflows, and future equipment resource considerations. 
 

The interaction between clinical and research workers at the Convention was also helpful because, in the ever-evolving field of histotechnology, these exchanges allow histology professionals to find ways for increased productivity, artifact troubleshooting, improved tissue, and cellular preservation.  In other words, don’t be afraid to have conversations with histotechs who work outside of your specialty -  it can benefit your lab.

As I noted before, I was able to attend this year’s NSH convention with the support of a NSH Convention Travel Poster Award  – I really enjoyed the poster experience.   A short 15-minute presentation time allowed me to answer questions at the digital poster kiosk area, along with participating in a podcast interview to address several insightful questions on generating the data on the topic of my poster work involving tissue processing for various resins using pipette-based mPrep-S capsules. Through a session talk, I learned the specific procedural details and more insight into automated mPrep-s capsule tissue processing of clinical tissue samples for TEM from the equipment company and clinical reference lab. I encourage others to plan to present a digital poster at future NSH Conventions, start now on your research project and work with your colleagues.

Regardless of your practice area, I encourage you to attend and network with other histology professionals from various environments. Do not limit education opportunities to your specialty – our science is ever changing and attending events, like the NSH Convention can help you and your lab grow.

Written By: Philip Seifert, HTL(ASCP)