Core
Facility for Imaging, Cellular and Molecular Biology: rules
1.Training.
All
users must be trained and approved by the supervisor of the
Facility before using any equipment.
Training will be provided by the supervisor or by company
representatives when applicable, or by individuals
designated by the supervisor, during arranged time slots.
For more complex instruments (e.g., confocal microscope or
the TEM) users will first receive a training session and
then they will practice on their own. A follow-up session
will address questions, problems and troubleshooting issues
that may arise.
2.
Sign-ups. Users
requiring assistance from the supervisor must make proper
arrangements at least 10 calendar days in advance. A
specific day and time slot (beginning and end time) must be
specified and agreed upon in advance.
Cancellations or other schedule changes must be made at
least 48 hours before the initially specified start time.
Instruments will be reserved on a first come, first serve
basis. Reservations can be noted on the calendars
accompanying the instruments where available (e.g., PCR
machines) or can be made through the supervisor via e-mail
or personal communication.
A given user is not allowed to reserve a specific
instrument continuously for more than 2 consecutive days,
unless permission is provided by the supervisor.
3.
Independent use of equipment. Individual
authorized users are responsible for proper use of Core
Facility instruments. At the end of an experiment, the user
must leave the instrument in the condition that s/he would
like to find it next time. In case there is a problem from
the beginning or something arises during use, the
supervisor must be notified immediately.
Principal investigators are responsible for informing their
lab members about the rules pertaining to the use of the
Core Facility and for bringing in contact new users with
the supervisor. Any problems or damages that might occur
from unauthorized use of Core Facility equipment will be
charged to the principal investigator.
4.
Logs. All
users must log in their use of any instrument in the
accompanying notebook or calendar.
The information that should be noted includes: user’s name,
date, time slot occupied, specific parameters used (when
applicable), and any problems possibly encountered.
5.
Consumables. When
financial and other conditions permit, certain consumables
will be provided by the Core Facility (e.g., immersion oil,
lens paper, kimwipes, glass slides). However, users are
responsible for obtaining the required consumables for
experiments (e.g., solutions or dyes) according to
experimental protocols and instrument specifications.
6.
Access, maintenance and administration.
Access
to certain instruments (e.g., confocal microscope, TEM,
compound microscopes) will be provided exclusively by the
supervisor. In cases where keys are borrowed, they must be
returned immediately after the end of the user’s session.
Users are not permitted to give away borrowed keys without
prior agreement with the supervisor.
The maintenance of the instruments will be carried out by
the supervisor. Possible changes on service contracts
(cancellations or additions) will be made after reviewing
and evaluating use 2-3 months before the end of the fiscal
year. These and other administrative decisions will be made
by the Core Facility committee. The committee reserves the
right to modify the present rules to suit possibly new
conditions.
7.
Absence of supervisor. At least
one person per instrument will be designated as a contact
in cases when the supervisor is absent. These persons will
provide access and assist with use if needed. They may
provide training to new users but final approval for
independent use must come from the supervisor.
8.
Core Facility acknowledgement. If any
equipment was used to conduct any experiments included in a
journal publication, poster or other type of presentation,
the Core Facility must be referenced in the
“acknowledgements” section using the following phrase:
“This work was conducted in part using equipment in the
Core Facility for Imaging, Cellular and Molecular Biology
at Queens College."
Also, the supervisor must be notified of any publications
where the Core Facility is acknowledged. At minimum, the
citation must be sent by e-mail. Ideally, an electronic or
hard copy of the publication would be provided.
Failure to abide to any of the above rules will result in
the immediate loss of access to equipment in the Core
Facility.