This particular image is a cricket sperm axoneme- fixed with glutaraldehyde, stained with osmium, and embedded in resin.
This project was an optimization of the fixation process and the characterization of tannic acid as a fixative. Ultimately, the goal was to obtain high resolution images of microtubule filament sections to count the number of protofilaments for different insect species. This research was used to reconstruct a tubulin homologue structure, found in specific insect species sperm.
Techniques: TEM, Resin Infiltration and Dehydration, MicroDissection Methods