Automated special staining has arrived!

With the installation of a Leica HistoCore SPECTRA ST automated stainer, we are pleased to announce that automated special staining has now arrived at MHP!

On Thursday 6th December, a Leica HistoCore SPECTRA ST automated stainer was delivered and installed in the Melbourne Histology Platform, with all MHP staff to receive full training in January 2024.

A large pale grey box-shaped instrument with a dark grey lid sitting on a white bench in a laobratory

The arrival of this instrument not only provides continuity of our automated haematoxlyin and eosin staining service in the event of breakdown of our aging Leica Autostainer XL, but will allow us to automate many of our heavily-used special stains include Masson trichrome, PAS, and AB/PAS staining. With thousands of slides undergoing special stains manually performed by MHP staff or users each year, this will not only increase the efficiency of MHP's staining capabilities but elimination of a staff service fee associated with special stains when performed on the SPECTRA will reduce the final cost of special staining to researchers.

This equipment was purchased with a 2023 Research Infrastructure Investment Fund Collaborative Equipment Grant awarded to Dr Chris Freelance (MHP's Manager),  Prof Erica Fletcher and Prof Andrew Pask. This successful grant application was made possible only with generous co-investment from key user groups. Consequently, MHP would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to the academic divisions who contributed to funding this instrument: Department of Anatomy and Physiology; Department of Microbiology and Immunology; Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences; Melbourne Dental School; Melbourne Medical School; and School of BioSciences.