In this work, several tests of the performance of 3,3’-thiodipropanol (TDP) as a mounting medium for fluorescence microscopy of biological samples were performed. Besides optical properties like the dispersion curve of TDP and the effect of the embedding medium on the fluorescence of commonly used dyes, the interaction with biological specimens, including the labeling of filamentous actin with fluorescent phalloidins, was tested: TDP showed to represent an interesting alternative to commercial mounting media. By mixing TDP with 2,2’-thiodiethanol (TDE), it was possible not only to fine tune the refractive index of the resulting solution, but to preserve the compatibility with fluorescent phalloidins.
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