Alissa Bahn, Jeffrey Lien, Jacquelyn Michalak, Erica Schumaker – Histology Research

October 28, 2014

Employees in the Histology Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Rochester wanted to know the optimum amount of time to leave a bone specimen in rapid decalcification solution before it was cut. The four students worked together to analyze varying lengths of time and determine what worked best.

What they found

For ideal preparation, the specimen must be removed from the solution after five to six hours.

“We were surprised by the results,” says Bahn. “We thought that, after a long time in the decalcification solution, it would be easier to cut the specimens. But, we never got a sample that was easy to cut. Originally, our purpose was to find out where rapid decalcification was perfect – the point that we would never need to use surface decalcification at the microtome. In reality, we found that doesn’t really exist. “

Why it matters

Before this research, lab employees routinely left specimens in the solution overnight to decalcify. The students’ research found that time can be reduced considerably, with better results.

“Working on this allowed us to see how much goes into a research project,” says Schumaker. “Even though the results were not what we expected, we still learned valuable information. This research made a difference. Based on what we found, the lab will be able to improve their processes.”

Presentation

2015 MSHS poster event