2020 USER AGREEMENT FOR THE LSM880 WITH FAST AIRYSCAN CONFOCAL SYSTEM.
Training: Faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and students who wish to use the Zeiss LSM880-Airyscan confocal laser system in the BCH-HDDC microscopy core facility should register for an account on iLAB to enable training and scheduling.
iLab: The BCH Imaging Core uses the iLab system for registering, training and scheduling. To get started, sign up and set up an account in iLab (see link below). In order to be able to schedule, you will need to have a fund number associated with the account. This is something that the lab PI or department administration will have to determine and approve. Once your account is set up, you can request training through the site by clicking the appropriate button next to the LSM880 description in the equipment tab. This will then direct you to fill out a basic questionnaire form including indicating preferred times for the training. The system will automatically generate a request for training. The imaging core supervisor or director will then contact you to schedule a time.
The training consists of two required sessions with an optional initial consultation: 1) A 1-2 hour customized basic training session, and 2) A 1-2 hour mentored session, 3) a complimentary consultation session. Training is charged at the standard hourly rate for usage. Each individual user of the confocal system MUST receive instruction from the BCH Confocal Core staff before using the confocal system. This requirement exists regardless of whether or not there are already trained individuals from the same laboratory using the confocal or whether the new user has prior experience with similar confocal systems.
NB: Allowing untrained/unregistered users to access the confocal under your sign-up will result in having confocal usage privileges revoked for a period of 3 months. Reinstatement of privileges requires retraining before independent usage will be allowed and training fees will be charged for the retraining session.
Scheduling: Users can schedule time on the confocal using iLab. Currently standard hours of operation are Monday to Friday 9am-5pm. Usage on the weekend and outside of this time will be granted to experienced users ( >15hrs of recorded usage). Users who have reserved time on the confocal laser system are responsible for reporting for their session. All users are expected to begin and end their sessions promptly in consideration of others.
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- Experienced users are classified as users who have logged more than 15 hours of microscope time.
- Users are expected to cancel all reserved but unneeded time on the ILab calendar at least the day before the scheduled session. If you do not do so and fail to report for your session, you will be charged the regular user fee if the core is unable to re-book your time.
- If assistance is needed, Michael Anderson will be available to help from 8am-3pm Monday-Friday.
Access: Access to Enders 613 and the confocal system is by key swipe (Children’s ID). Please email Michael Anderson at Michael.Anderson@childrens.harvard.edu with your date of training, and ID badge number to gain access.
Microscope use: Please check the schedule for the day of use – if there is more than 1 user scheduled, please leave the system running. Lasers may be shut down if there is a gap (>1hr) before the next session to preserve laser lifetime. Communication with other users before or after your session is highly recommended so that the lasers are left running for you to shorten your wait time.
Users that need specific objective lens installed on the microscope for live-cell work are required to contact Michael Anderson in advance of their session. Users are strictly prohibited from removing the objective lenses from the microscope (or from other microscopes in the core) on their own. If any damage occurs to the lenses by their removal, the repair or replacement of this lens will be charged to the respective lab.
Users are responsible for ensuring that the microscope, table, and surrounding area are kept clean and organized. Microscope objective lenses should be handled with care and cleaned after each use with lens paper (in the box provided—PLEASE don’t use Kimwipes!!). The confocal room has been designated as a BL2 facility since live human and mouse cells are used for live-cell experiments. Hence, NO FOOD AND/OR DRINKS are allowed in the confocal room. You are REQUIRED to inform the Confocal Supervisor of all major spills.
Users are responsible for ensuring that the microscope and confocal system are shut- down properly if they are the last or only user scheduled, as per the detailed instructions in the training session. If the microscope, confocal, and/or gas components are not shut-down properly and any component is left running for an extended period (i.e overnight), the user will be charged a fee for this time. On the second offense at leaving the microscope or components running, the user will be required to complete another charged training session.
Storage/Data: The Imaging Core is working with Research Computing to develop an optimized solution for storing and transferring data. In the meantime -Users are fully responsible for transferring their images to an external storage device in a timely manner. Confocal time should not be scheduled that will be used ONLY to run the computer workstation. All images should be copied to an external storage drive DURING your scheduled session. If you wish to open images, please download the Zeiss confocal assistant (freeware) at www.zeiss.com on your personal computer. Analysis / processing of Airyscan data should occur either during the session or on the Imaging Workstation.
The computer work station can be reserved for image processing for a 3 hr period. The workstation in Enders 613 will have the original Zen blue and Zen black software, and other imaging software. This workstation is to be used only for processing images obtained from the confocal microscopes and should not be used for general usage such as email etc.
Failure to follow training and other standard procedures is subject to penalty at the discretion of the Core Director. In general, users/labs will be expected to cover the expense incurred by any intentional misuse of the microscope, confocal system, or computer. If mistakes are made in good faith and reported promptly, consideration will be made and any penalty reduced accordingly.