Australia's Science Forum

Hi all, and I hope you are all having a good start to the New Year.

I need to make up some Indigo Carmine microscopy stain, as my supply is getting low. I have a little bottle of powder, but my "Bible" ("The Laboratory", by Dungey) does not seem to have a recipe for making it up. Can anybody help me out here?

cheers

Ian

I found thison the net. this is the website

http://labnetwest.asn.au/resources/technical-tips/
Indigo Carmine recipes:
1. 0.25g indigo carmine in 100mL of 50% ethanol.
pH range 11.6 to 13.0 , colour change blue to yellow.
2. 1.0g per litre of 50% ethanol pH 11.6-14, blue to yellow.

Thanks Dave. I'll give that a go. (It is more information than what I had!)

Is there a difference between Indigo Carmine used as a Microscopy stain and Indigo Carmine used as a pH indicator?

Thanks again

ian

I cant find any information but I found this document on making up solutions etc. Really useful and does have a recipe for indigo carmine

http://inside.bard.edu/~bjude/resources ... uide-1.pdf

I have a recipe for the indicator not sure if this will work as a stain. According to my lab manual (which I will be buried with) : Weight of indicator and volume of ethanol for 1 litre: 1.0 g to 500ml ethanol up to 1 litre with water. (pH range 11.6 -14, colour change blue-yellow) Hope this helps you. My source is A Handbook of Laboratory Solutions. M.H. Gabb and W.E.Latchem 1967. Edited by Philip Kogan and published by ANDRE DEUTSCH limited. Just checked with biol teacher and he reckons it should work.