[mjd]

I'm puzzled by this. Why hasn't there been, over the last fifty years, a huge amount of research into EM staining techniques and which materials were best under which circumstances? Edison supposedly tried 3000 different materials for light bulb filaments before settling on charred cotton thread. Why hasn't something similar been done in this area?

Or perhaps it _has_ been done and that's why nearly everyone uses uranyl acetate? And perhaps coffee was tried decades ago and found to be generally inferior?

[BigTTYGothGF]

Of course it's been done, and there are lots of different stains available: https://www.agarscientific.com/general-consumables/chemicals...

[buildbot]

Wow you know it’s a fun party when the first result needs to specify it’s _not_ radioactive

Oh I see - Uranyl Acetate is radioactive and this replaces it. Fun!

This seems like a friendly chemical too - “ The chemical properties of Osmium Tetroxide are such that use and handling of the chemical is often considered daunting. Although its volatility and toxicity certainly makes it a dangerous chemical, but when following the proper procedure and taking the necessary precautions, Osmium Tetroxide can be used to its full potential with limited risk to the user.

This is more toxic than glutaraldehyde and has a higher vapour pressure. Particular care must be taken to avoid breathing the vapour or allowing it to affect the eyes. ”