A stationary tweezer platform for high throughput dissections of minute arthropods and extirpation of their minute organs

Abstract

A homemade platform satisfied the need for fast, efficient dissection of minute arthropods and extirpation of their key organs, such as salivary glands and midguts, involved in agricultural disease transmission pathways. With its implementation, ~200 organs could be extirpated per 8 h workday while the subjects are submerged in protein or transcript protectant. A vacuum wand is used to capture insects and position them in the field of view. Two stationary tweezers are positioned on an adjustable scaffold that spans the microscope stage transversely such that their tips, and the insects they immobilize, can be submerged in select dissection media. High tensile strength fishlines are attached to the stationary tweezers for opening and closing with the 5th fingers while hand-held dissection tweezers load insects from the wand to their tines, then extirpate the target organs. Organs are lifted out with glass splints or plastic toothpicks into a final tube of select preservation media for freezing at session end.

• •

  Constructed from common retail materials

• •

  Adjustable design fits many microscopes

• •

  Can also be used in a wide variety of applications, including materials science

Graphical abstract