There are a number of policies governing the use of the Advanced Microscopy Facility. Please click the headers below to review them. In order to make it a welcoming and easy to use facility the following policies are to guide users:
Applying to use the facility
- Anyone may apply to use the facility; refer to the new user instructions.
- Approval of an application will either require a valid grant account number and the signature of the principal investigator or an agreement with the principal investigator off campus.
- Applications will be reviewed for feasibility, and if required an estimate of the costs involved in carrying out the project will be provided to the applicant by the AMF staff.
Sign up and equipment usage
- Self-serve users use the online booking system to reserve instrument time after successfully completing a training workshop, which can be applied for by contacting the manager, filling out the online form, or by printing and submitting the PDF form.
- Users who wish to hire our staff to do the work for them will fill out an online form or print and submit a PDF form or contact the laboratory manager.
- Refer to the new user instructions for more information.
- If a user does not arrive within 30 minutes of their scheduled time they may lose their reservation to another user unless AMF staff are informed of the delay.
- Users who do not use their scheduled time and do not remove their names from the schedule will be charged for one hour of instrument time, and possibly for the entire session with repeat offences.
Training
- In order to be considered qualified and operate the instrument, all electron microscope and major equipment users will be required to demonstrate competency. This can be achieved through our workshops.
- Training workshops will be given generally once a month, for up to six individuals per instrument.
- Investigators who have qualified on instruments elsewhere must be instructed in the use of the current equipment prior to check-out. If further training is required to demonstrate competency, scheduled sessions will be available.
- Individual operators must be able to assess the working condition of an instrument, and will be held responsible for informing the AMF staff if an instrument is not performing properly.
Keys
- Keys to the AMF will be dispensed to qualified individuals only.
- Each key holder must fill out the sign out sheet in the office.
- Each key holder will be required to inform AMF staff of after hours use.
Hazardous materials
- Samples that may be characterized as potentially dangerous to the users or staff of the AMF may not be brought into the AMF unless they are rendered harmless and the procedures for rendering them harmless have been approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee, Research Involving Infectious Agents Committee and/or the Radiological Safety Board.
- The evidence of approval must be on file in the office of the AMF. This policy affects at least bacterial, viral, carcinogenic and radioactive samples.
- Fixing the samples before bringing them into the AMF is not sufficient; the full procedure and precautions for preparing the sample for microscopy must be approved after complete discussions with the AMF manager.
Data storage
- The AMF is not responsible for any data backup or data loss due to instrumentation/software failure.
- Users must backup their own data on their own computer via a USB external hard drive/memory stick, or by burning to a CD/DVD.
- Any data sets left on the computers older than three weeks, will be subject to deletion without warning.
Music
Radios and mp3 players may be used with earphones so that others using the AMF are not disturbed.
Food and beverages
- No food or beverages may be taken into the electron microscope rooms of the AMF.
- This policy is necessary to reduce the possibility of instrumentation failure and downtime due to accidents with food or beverage spillage.
Unattended equipment and materials
- All materials stored in the refrigerator, desiccators, or in the prep labs must contain the individual's name and date.
- Equipment left unattended but still in use must have a note attached designating the user and duration of use.
New equipment
When a primary investigator acquires a piece of equipment which would locate nicely in the AMF, we will negotiate our uses getting time on the instrument in exchange for our staff looking after the equipment, training its users, and giving priority access to the PIs students.
Crediting the AMF in publications
The user must send copies or references to all publications, presentations, acknowledgments, etc. to the Advanced Microscopy Facility for results or work obtained herein. This is to provide accreditation for the facility. Please download the agreement form, print and sign it, and submit it to the laboratory prior to using the facility.
Billing
It is important to fill out the log book for each instrument after use. Billing is done from the log books, but if a session is not indicated in the log book then we will bill from the online booking system record.
