Why, Fisher, why?

25 September 2025 Tags: microscopy Gene Frames time-lapse microscopy fluorescence microscopy

For decades, we have used the humble Gene Frame successfully for our microscopy experiments. These are flexible frames that come in various sizes. Our preferred kind is measuring 15 × 16 mm with a thickness of 0.25 mm and adhesive surfaces on both sides. They have facilitated countless hours of bacterial observation with the kind of elegant functionality that one might naively assume would guarantee their perpetual existence in scientific catalogs.

The Economics of Practicality

These frames achieved a rare combination of simplicity and effectiveness that seems to elude some of the many modern solutions. One simply applies the frame to a standard slide, introduces a defined volume of media supplemented with 1% agarose as a hot solution, tops with a second slide, and allows the agarose to set. Upon careful removal of the upper slide, a perfectly smooth agarose pad is generated. Bacteria such as E. coli are highly mobile, which does not go well with long fluorescence microscopy exposure times or even time-lapse microscopy. The genius lies in the fact that bacterial cultures, when dried onto this surface and covered with a coverslip, become immobilised between the smooth agarose layer and the glass. Cells are pinned down and perfectly immobilised, allowing long exposure times. However, they remain perfectly viable. With the addition of a heated chamber, these trapped microorganisms grow rather enthusiastically if rich medium is offered, or more hesitantly if they are put on a diet.

Gene Frames offer an increasingly rare commodity: while not cheap, they still offer affordability coupled with effectiveness. Over the past two years alone, our laboratory has utilized hundreds of these frames across diverse applications, testament to their universal applicability. The frames accommodate all media formulations, the addition of drugs to harras the bugs and other applications.

The Modern Alternative Conundrum

Contemporary market offerings, exemplified by systems such as Chitozen with their pre-formed channels and chitosan-coated coverslips, undoubtedly represent technological advancement. These solutions perform admirably, provided one adheres strictly to recommended protocols and media compositions. However, as our recent investigations into artificial sweetener effects on bacterial cells (de Dios et al., 2023; 2025) demonstrated, real-world research often demands deviation from manufacturer specifications.

When examining these effects at high salt concentrations where the most prominent responses occurred, the bacterial cells simply did not adhere well to the slides. Thus, Chitozen is a substantially more expensive product which, for our specific application, does not perform as well as the humble Gene Frame.

Custom microfluidic solutions, while undeniably sophisticated, can be even more expensive and complicated to run. Their specialized nature, while impressive, serves to highlight the refreshing versatility that Gene Frames provided across diverse experimental conditions and bacterial species.

A Corporate Mystery for the Ages

And so we arrive at the central question that haunts our laboratory like an unexplained experimental artifact. We are still waiting to have more Gene Frames delivered, and the waiting time got suspiciously long. Finally, a PhD student phoned Fisher to find out the reason for the delay. The reason is simple: Gene Frames are discontinued. Why, Fisher Scientific, have you elected to discontinue a product that performs exceptionally at a reasonable cost?

In an era where scientific reproducibility faces numerous challenges, the elimination of a reliable, cost-effective tool seems counterproductive to the broader scientific enterprise. The decision necessitates the expenditure of valuable research time on sourcing replacement items before our remaining stocks are exhausted.

We humbly suggest reconsideration of this decision. The Gene Frame occupies a unique niche in the scientific instrumentation ecosystem. It balances functionality, versatility, and affordability in ways that newer alternatives have yet to replicate successfully, at last for the price. So, please, Fisher, put the Gene Frames back in your catalogue!