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Science of H&E

Andrew Lisowski
Andrew Lisowski M.S., HTL (ASCP)

Download this training resource to learn more about routine staining with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and the steps involved with the staining process.

Why Do We Stain?

In order to deliver a medical diagnosis, tissues must be examined under a microscope. Once a tissue specimen has been processed by a histology lab and transferred onto a glass slide, it needs to be appropriately stained for microscopic evaluation. This is because unstained tissue lacks contrast: when viewed under the microscope, everything appears in uniform dull grey color.

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Unstained Tissue H&E Stained Tissue

What Does "Staining" Do?

  • Contrasts different cells
  • Highlights particular features of interest
  • Illustrates different cell structures
  • Detects infiltrations or deposits in the tissue
  • Detects pathogens
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There are different staining techniques to reveal different structures of the cell
There are different staining techniques to reveal different structures of the cell

About the presenter

Andrew Lisowski
Andrew Lisowski , M.S., HTL (ASCP)

Andrew Lisowski has almost 30 years of experience in histology and histotechnology. He attended veterinary school and earned his master’s degree in molecular biology. Andrew worked in histology, IHC and ISH labs, cell culture lab, performed in-vitro and in-vivo toxicology assays and was a member of a necropsy team. He worked for pharmaceutical companies, medical school and founded his own molecular and histology firms.

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