Reading reflection - 4/17/13

Ink and Vinegar, a Simple Staining Technique for Arbuscular-Mycorrhizal Fungi
HORST VIERHEILIG, ANDREW P. COUGHLAN, URS WYSS, AND YVES PICHE'

This article develops a new safe and simple method to stain arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungal colonizations in root tissues. The purpose of this method is to reduce the use of harmful chemicals previously used to stain fungal coloniation such as chlorazol black E, and also to provide a more affordable technique to stain root tissues in areas with limited resources. This method gives not only excellent results but also safe alternatives to the hazardous, toxic, and potentially carcinogenic chemicals used in usual staining techniques, as vine-gar, which is used in human nutrition, is obviously not harmful and ink, because it is used by children, is subject to strict regulations and must be nontoxic in every respect. The time for clearing of root tissues must be adjusted depending upon the plant species studied.

Colonized roots stained with an ink-vinegar solution. Veirheilig et al. 1998.