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Find Your MACH™ Match: Which MACH Detection is Right for You?

Biocare’s MACH detection line utilizes the most sensitive detection technology available to provide users with crisp, clean, intense IHC staining. Customers have the choice of several MACH detection kits, depending on their staining needs. However, with so many options available, it can be difficult to make a decision. Customers should [...]

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DAB and the Importance of Separating Waste

For decades, the rich brown stain produced by DAB has made it the chromogen of choice for IHC stains. However, precautions must be taken due to the fact that DAB is a known mutagen and potential carcinogen. Since DAB is considered a hazardous material, disposal of DAB-contaminated waste is subject [...]

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Antigen Retrieval Terms for IHC

Antigen retrieval (AR) is a fundamental part of any IHC protocol. However, with so many different names for this one process, it can be difficult to recognize what an individual protocol or paper is referring to. Why is it sometimes called “retrieval” and other times simply “pretreatment?” Is ER the [...]

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Troubleshooting: Tissue Processing

In the preparation of paraffin sections for staining, fixation and processing go hand in hand. Proper tissue fixation ensures tissue processing will be effective, and a lab’s chosen processing method may also influence their choice of fixative.1 Errors in the processing stage have the potential to seriously affect staining quality. [...]

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ONCORE Pro’s Dual Small Footprint Offers a Solution to the Race for Space in IHC Laboratories

A reality of the medical industry today is that space is at a premium. Whether it is in a hospital environment or independent practice, medical laboratories face space constraints. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) laboratories have dealt with this squeeze by optimizing workflow and carefully managing their inventory. However, storage areas may remain [...]

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An Overview of Biocare Medical’s Instruments for Immunohistochemistry and In Situ Hybridization Procedures

As a leader in the fields of immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH), Biocare Medical has, for more than 20 years, offered a variety of instruments used in these staining procedures. Biocare has instruments that can meet your need for high-quality staining at a reasonable cost, whether your lab [...]

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Buff Up on Buffers and Surfactants

Wash buffers are an integral part of immunohistochemical (IHC) procedures. They are used after each incubation step to wash away excess reagent from the specimen and maintain a constant pH by “soaking up” any free hydrogen (H+) ions. This feature helps maintain the morphological characteristics of antibodies and their epitopes, [...]

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Biocare Basics: Optimization

Proper optimization is vital for successful immunohistochemical (IHC) testing. An optimal IHC protocol can be characterized by its ability to consistently and unambiguously determine how the antigen is expressed in the tissue. Optimization is fundamental to reducing the risk of both false positive and false negative results.1 The protocol must [...]

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Alternatives to Lysol for Cleaning Automated Instrumentation

Regular cleaning is an essential part of instrument maintenance, but what happens if you don’t have Lysol? Following recommended cleaning procedures to remove residues and sterilize instrument components will improve instrument performance and help extend the instrument’s lifespan. This white paper looks at Lysol alternatives for cleaning to ensure your [...]

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Biocare Basics: Tissue Placement for IHC

As anyone who has worked in histology will tell you, a successful staining process begins long before the staining protocol itself. In fact, factors that will determine a stain’s success or failure start to come into play soon as the tissue is removed from the patient’s body. As such, proper [...]

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