Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdog
I have used a simple vice to crack the seeds. Once you crack it, pry it open with something sharp, being careful not to injure the embryo. Then just pluck the little guy out with some tweezers!
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Frank, how do you keep contamination out of the embryo when using this method? Do you sterilize the vise first? Is it inside of the hood? I have a small wooden vise that is used for seal stamp carving (Chinese seals) if I can find it, I may use that under the hood since it is very small, already has a V groove to hold the seed, and uses a small screw to keep from over-cracking the seed. I would think a small C clamp might also be good since it can be sterilized easily. I might also get some fine tipped needlenose pliers to pull apart the seed hull pieces once they crack. Another idea would be to use a rotary tool (Dremel) with a fine saw blade - this might be where the vise would come in handy.
So far no contamination in the 5 embryo rescues I have going. Looks like the embryos are swelling some, but they have only been in culture since 10/5.