(This is used to slow down protozoa for microscope):
Method 1:
Heat is needed to dissolve and make a suspension of the Methyl cellulose powder, but it is important to have icy cold water on hand to cool the mixture down and stir fast!
3% aqueous Methyl cellulose:
- Heat 100ml of deionised (DI) water to 85°C
- Shake 3g of Methyl Cellulose powder into the hot water and stir rapidly while cooling the solution to 5°C in an ice bath.
- The solution is stable at room temperature but store in tightly closed containers
Method 2:
From: researchgate.net
4% Methyl cellulose
- Take 1/2 the volume of your liquid, heat to about 300C in a vessel with a large stir bar. Use a 200 mL wide-mouth glass tissue culture bottle if available.
- Put the other 1/2 volume of liquid in a container on ice to cool to 1-4 deg C.
- Take the WARM solution off the heat, add your Methyl cellulose whilst stirring. Manual stirring with a glass rod works best. The Methyl cellulose will not go into solution yet; it will be white and sticky with blobs.
Now add your COLD solution, put on a stir plate and stir vigorously. You may have to stir a few times manually to loosen the stir bar. The stir plate must have a strong magnet to generate enough force. If it is too weak, stir by hand. - Once most of the Methyl cellulose is in solution, refrigerate overnight. Bubbles will disappear and you will have a clear solution.
Excess heat causes methylcellulose to gel, which will lead to cloudiness.