Here are some common questions and their answers.
1. My protocol calls for use of strong acid or an alcohol/acetone fixative. will it work with your product?
Sadly, no. GnomePen was designed to work with (and is stable for long incubation times) with Formaldehyde or ParaFormadehyde. The GnomePen does not work with an acetone/alcohol fixative formulation. However, please feel free to consult us directly at info@invignome.com. We will do our best to help.
2. Are your products really detergent resisntant? We have had leaks with other products before!
Our hydrophobic barrier fluids will not be dissolved by detergents such as Triton x100, x114 or Tween-20. We routinely test our batches using X10 concentrations of Triton X100 and Tween20 (~1% detergent). Our products have been tested by users that required 72hr incubation times in detergents – and they reported excellent results.
3. At what stage should I apply the GnomePen?
The GnomePen or BarrierPaste should be applied at the beginning of the immunohistochemistry or immunoflourescence process. It is nearly impossible for a very hydrophobic liquid to bond to the glass slide when there is a layer of water (TBS/PBS/other buffers) on it. You can apply it on a damp surface or an oily surface but not on a wet surface.
If you are performing your IHC/IF on microtome sections – we recommend you drain the slide and use a q-tip to dry the line around the tissue before applying the GnomePen. Allow the Gnomepen to dry before you start.
If you do it correctly you will get a nice dome of your reagnets above the line.
4. What is the lifetime of the GnomePen?
The GnomePen and BarrierPaste have a shelflife of 18months.
5. My pen isn’t working. What to do?
Making a long lasting pen is like standing between the hammer and the hard place: It has to be air-tight ( for a long shelflife) but under 25C a vacuum forms. Luckily the solution is super easy.
Solve this in 2 seconds using our troubleshooting webpage and video!
In cold environment (under 25C) the GnomePen solvents will not be able to generate a positive pressure inside the Gnomepen internal cavity. This will result in an internal low vacuum. To solve this – unscrew the pen white tip (clockwise!) one full turn and re-screw it. Wipe the tip of the pen with a piece of paper to make sure it’s clean and start marking – It will function flawlessly. You only need to hold the white tip to use the pen. If you wish for a thicker layer – gently squeeze the pen body between your fingers.
6. Do I need to remove the GnomePen layer after the IHC/IF protocol is done?
Rarely, and for very specific applications the layer can be removed. However, for routine use there is no need to do so. You can directly apply your prefered mounting medium and cover slide on top of GnomePen layer
7. What if I have paraffin embedded slices? When and how to apply the GnomePen?
The GnomePen must be applied after hydration. While it can be applied on a thin coat of water over the slide – we recommend you clean the path around your slices in advance, using a q-tip or Kimwhipe – gently wipe and dry the glass surface (do not touch the slice). Once you are done, apply the GnomePen and continue with the IHC/IF procedure. Before re-paraffinization – gently wash or dip the slide with Xylene and the GnomePen line will float away intact without harming your sample.
8. Can I have a user manuals or MSDS’s for your products?
You can download user manuals, brochures and MSDS or GHS-SDS directly from our download page.
9. Do you have an online shop?
Unfortunately, no. Due to payment and delivery issues we prefer to sell only to distributors. Our customers are more than welcome to contact us at all times for help, technical support and to make a purchase – in the latter case we will refer you to a local distributor in your area.
If you didn’t find your question here –
Please feel free to ask us anytime using our contact page!
Regards,
Invignome Team