The settings, times and temperature on your pressure cooker may be different to the one used in the Gregory Lab. The instructions below are optimised for a 3L Drew and Cole ‘Pressure King Pro’ domestic pressure cooker.
Put 500ml dH2O in the basin of the pressure cooker.
Place slides in a slide rack, pop the rack in a suitable pressure cooker pot and pour in antigen retrieval buffer (e.g., citric acid or tris/EDTA). Make sure the slides are fully covered.
Put the lid on and lock it by turning it anticlockwise until you hear a click.
Turn the pressure release valve to the closed position.
Press the ‘browning/meat’ button and use the + and – buttons to adjust the time to 5 min (if it starts before you’re ready, press cancel and try again). After a short delay, the pressure cooker will start automatically. The full cycle takes around 20 min.
When the cycle has finished there will be a short beep sound and the display will read ‘end’, press the cancel button. You can wait for the pressure to release naturally or you can move the valve to the open position to release the pressure more quickly.
Beware! The slides and pressure cooker will be very hot and should be handled with extreme caution. Remove the lid of the pressure cooker, lift the basin out and place it in the sink.
Cool the slides down in running tap water.