• Diaphonisation is a biological preservation technique used to study the development of skeletal and cartilaginous anatomy in situ. Using a combination of chemicals and enzymes, the muscle tissue, organs and skin are removed of all colour and rendered transparent, while the calcified bone and cartilage are selectively stained for differentiation. The result is a beautiful, technicoloured 3D X-ray specimen, that retains all of the natural elasticity it would have had in life.ion text goes here

  • The specimen will appear transparent as the cleared tissue and the glycerine in which they are stored share the same light refractive index. This means that as light passes through the glass, glycerine, and the specimen, that the light is not bent or scattered – giving the appearance of transparency.

  • Once the staining is complete and the specimen has been cleared, they are rinsed of chemicals and neutralised, and are then transferred into a solution of glycerine – with a dash of thymol as a preservative agent. Thymol is the main component of thyme (the herb) essential oil, and glycerine is used in foods and many skin creams. The biggest hazard the specimens might pose is the glass that contains them should it be broken.

  • If your cat happens to push your specimen off the table (it’s always the cat!), no need to worry. Carefully pick up the specimen, remove any glass or dirt from it, and pop it into a ziplock bag or lidded container. If needed, give it a quick rinse under the tap to remove fine dust or debris first. Once in a sealed container though, it’s all good until you can find a replacement jar/container. You can contact us here to organise a replacement, then all you’ll need to do is pop it back in!
    Cleaning up the glycerine after the spill as soon as you can is important too. As glycerine is a humectant, it will absorb moisture from the air – so a small puddle will become a large one reasonably quickly if it is humid. A good idea is to wipe up as much as possible as quick as you can, then mop/sponge off the area 2-3 times to ensure its all gone.