Some Electron Microscopy Suppliers have gone so far as to claim their product is an alternative substitute or replacement for Uranyl Acetate. This statement is to be taken with a large grain of salt. These statements are totally incorrect. Their claim is that lanthanide salts, samarium, and gadolinium triacetates are a replacement for Uranyl Acetate staining. This is not correct and totally misleading. There is no replacement for Uranyl Acetate! IBI — the leading international manufacturer and provider of Uranyl Acetate Dihydrate, a universal staining agent for electron microscopy work — has added “IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain” to its already impressive arsenal of fine specialty staining chemicals for electron microscopy analysis. IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is available as a stock solution through one of IBI’s distributors or directly from IBI Labs. Please contact IBI Labs for more information, pricing, or how to order Blue Platinum from our distributors. IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is an extremely hazardous product and may cause eye irritation, kidney cancer, severe bone marrow disorders, and affect fertility. In addition, some reports suggest IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain can attack the nervous system. Studies demonstrated that none of the reagents examined showed staining results of the same quality or better than the conventional method with Uranyl Acetate and Pb. However, stains of IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain showed that it is not an alternative for Uranyl Acetate but may be a reasonable substitute according to the structure in question when Uranyl Acetate is unavailable. What needs to be done is to start a educational campaign educating safety officers that Uranyl Acetate, if used correctly, poses no radiation hazard.
Technical Information
Formula:
Proprietary Formula
Staining EM Thin Sections Procedural Notes
- IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is used as a reasonable substitute for Uranyl Acetate in thin section post-staining whenever Uranyl Acetate is not available.
- Our commercially available stock solution has been found to give good results at a dilution of 1:25 for manual staining and other researchers have indicated good results with a 1:100 dilution. Because this new stain does not have a use protocol, it is necessary to prepare one’s own use protocol. It is important to note that the diluent must have a pH of 3.5, adjusted with acetic acid. The incubation times for the manual staining method should be the same as for Uranyl Acetate staining.
- Regarding toxicity, the reagent tested as a substitute of Uranyl Acetate has the advantage of not being radioactive. Furthermore, working with health-damaging inhalable powder can be avoided. In contrast, IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is toxic but because as it is delivered as a stock solution, further risky handling can be reduced to a minimum.
- In ultra-thin sections of the rat liver and renal glomerulus, IBI Labs blue Platinum EM Stain provided good contrast images, especially in double-staining combined with a lead stain (Pb). Almost all cell organelles were clearly observed with high contrast in these sections. Glycogen granules in the hepatic parenchymal cells were particularly electron dense in IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain, stained sections compared with those treated with Uranyl Acetate. In longitudinal and transverse sections of budding influenza A viruses, a specific arrangement of rod-like structures, which correspond to the ribonucleoprotein complexes, was clearly shown in each virion stained with IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain and Pb.
- When post-embedding immunoelectron microcopy was performed in ultra-thin sections of HeLa cells embedded in Lowicryl K4M, the localization of Ki67 protein was sufficiently detected even after IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain and Pb staining. The present study also revealed that the IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain could be used for the negative staining of E. Coli, allowing the visualization of flagellum.
Studies demonstrated that none of the reagents examined showed staining results of the same quality or better than the conventional method with Uranyl Acetate and Pb. However, stains of IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is not an alternative for Uranyl Acetate but may be a reasonable substitute according to the structure in question when Uranyl Acetate is unavailable. Some Electron Microscopy suppliers have gone so far as to claim their product such as is an alternative substitute or replacement for Uranyl Acetate. This statement is not to be taken without a large grain of salt. These statements are totally incorrect. They claim that lanthanide salts, samarium and gadolinium triacetates are a replacement for Uranyl Acetate staining. This is not correct. What needs to be done is a educational campaign educating safety officers that Uranyl Acetate, if used correctly, poses no radiation hazard.
NEWS FROM IBI
FOR RELEASE
Contact: Lucy Rodriguez, General Manager
Phone: (561) 826-0061
IBI Announces Availability of IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain
World’s Leading Manufacturer and Distributor of Specialty Uranium Compounds and Reagents Adds to Already Impressive Arsenal of Specialty Staining Chemicals for the Scientific Community
International Bio-Analytical Industries (IBI) – the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty uranium compounds as well as related products and services – today announced the availability of Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain, an “intriguing” new addition to IBI’s line of fine specialty staining chemicals for electron microscopy analysis.
“IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is intriguing because it provides the scientific community with a reasonable substitute to traditional electron microscopy using uranyl acetate dihydrate,” said IBI President and General Manager Alex Besenyo. “But as is the case with so many new offerings in science, there are cautions … concerns that for some researchers, may outweigh the benefits.”
According to Besenyo, IBI Blue Platinum EM Stain carries much more than a simple ‘Handle With Care” advisory. Besenyo, considered by many to be the world’s leading authority on radioactive products and services, is a veteran of more than 40 years in the industry. “Because of its slight radioactivity, uranyl acetate dihydrate must be disposed of carefully and in compliance with federal regulations,” said Besenyo. “But it has proved to be safe and stable. Plus, it is quite affordable. These attributes have made uranyl acetate dihydrate the substance of choice for most of the scientific community.“ IBI Labs BluePlatinum EM Stain, however, presents quite another story. While apparently effective as an electron microscopy stain, it is also quite expensive. It is, as the name suggests, a platinum product, and there are few heavy metals as costly as platinum. In addition, and this is a bold, italicized, and underlined caveat: IT IS EXTREMELY TOXIC.”
Besenyo noted IBILabs Blue Platinum EM Stain may cause eye irritation, kidney cancer, severe bone marrow disorders, and affect fertility. In addition, some reports suggest IBI Labs Blue Platinum Blue can attack the nervous system.
“As the leading manufacturer of research and medical products, I am obligated to provide IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain to those who care to investigate its possibilities or for those who have diligently researched the compound and found that IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain has a place in their process,” said Besenyo. “The IBI line is broad and deep, designed to provide science and medicine with choices. The availability of IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is consistent with this philosophy.”
Available Now Worldwide
IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain is available for immediate delivery worldwide. For pricing, to order, or for more information on IBI Labs Blue Platinum EM Stain from IBI, call (561) 826-0061.
More About IBI
International Bio-analytical Industries, Inc. (IBI) is the world’s leading manufacturer and distributor of specialty Uranium and Thorium compounds as well as related research and medical products.
Founded in 2002, IBI specializes in production of Uranyl Acetate, Uranyl Nitrate, Uranyl Tetrafluoride, Uranyl Oxide, and other fine specialty Uranium compounds and reagents manufactured exclusively from depleted Uranium U-238.
