Histology Laboratory

A complete tissue preparation and analysis workflow from processing and embedding through to precision sectioning and brightfield imaging, all within a single dedicated laboratory in our Life Sciences Building.

What you can do here

Our Histology Laboratory supports the full tissue preparation pipeline; all centralised to our new Life Sciences building. Whether you’re working with mammalian tissue for biomedical research, ecological specimens, or novel materials requiring thin sectioning, our equipment and workflow cover every stage from fresh tissue through to stain sections ready for imaging.

Fixation and processing

Automated tissue processing including fixation, dehydration, and paraffin infiltration in a single programmable run.

Embedding

Paraffin embedding with microprocessor-controlled temperature management to preserve specimen integrity.

Sectioning

Fully motorised rotary microtomy for thin reproducible sections of paraffin-embedded specimens, complemented by a cryostat for rapid frozen sectioning, useful where tissue processing time is limited.

Staining and imaging

Standard and specialist staining protocols, with access to fluorescence and brightfield imaging.

Our equipment

Tissue Processing – Leica ASP300 S Tissue Processor

An automated closed-system tissue processor for fixation, dehydration, clearing, and paraffin wax infiltration of histological specimens. Programmable protocols allow overnight runs with consistent, reproducible results.

Suitable for a wide range of tissue types including soft tissue, bone, and plant material.

Paraffin Embedding – Leica HistoCore Arcadia H

A microprocessor-controlled paraffin embedding station with heated forceps and a cold plate, allowing precise orientation of specimens within the mould prior to sectioning.

Produces blocks with consistent, flat faces, critical for achieving good section on a microtome.

Precision Sectioning – Leica RM2255 Rotary Microtome

A fully automatic, motorised rotary microtome designed to produce thin, reproducible sections of paraffin-embedded specimens. Suitable for routine histological sectioning across a wide range of tissue types.

Section thickness range: 0.5–100 µm

Fully motorised advance

Programmable sectioning speed

Low-vibration cutting for consistent section quality

Frozen Sectioning – Leica CM3050 S Cryostat

A motorised cryostat for rapid frozen sectioning, a preferred route where tissue processing time is limited, enzyme activity must be preserved, or antigen retrieval for immunohistochemistry is a priority.

Motorised drive

Section counter

x/y orientation ±8°

25 mm horizontal specimen feed

Independent specimen temp. control

Low-profile disposable blades