LDI - Cytometry Protocols

1. Before being issued online booking access and and permission to use LDI Flow Cytometry Facility instruments, ALL USERS MUST:
be trained onsite by a member of the MCETC Flow Cytometry Facility staff. Users are not permitted to train other new users.
duly complete and hand in a project proposal form.
provide account information for billing purposes.

2. Users can only use instruments on which they have been trained.

3. Initial training sessions will be billed per hour and the user is strongly advised to bring samples similar to those with which they will be working. This makes the training more specific to a given application and helps address specific sample issues.

4. Users will be charged for instrument login/logout time with a minimum charge of 10 minutes for each booking.

5. If a user does not show up for time booked and did not cancel the booking within 24 hours of the start time, they will be charged for the entire booking.

6. Users must shut down flow cytometers if:
Next user is scheduled to start in more than 2 hours and before 5 PM.
Next user is scheduled to start after 5 PM.
He/She is the last user of the day.
It is past 5 PM.

7. If users do not show up during the first half-hour of their booking, the instrument is considered available for others to use. As per statement 3, you will be billed!

8. Users will NOT be charged if the equipment is not functioning. Please inform local managers or the facility director immediately if there is a problem with the equipment.

9. Users will have their privileges revoked temporarily or permanently for any misconduct, equipment misuse, or non-standard manipulation at the discretion of the LDI Flow Cytometry Facility staff.

10. ONLY users with prior approval will be permitted to use the instruments after hours.

11. Booking priority will be given in the following order:
Local Users
McGill Users
Outside Users

12. The facility director or local managers reserve the right to make final decisions whenever there is a question of user priority.

13. The facility assumes no responsibility for data stored on the instrument computers. Please use new CD-R or DVD-R to burn your data as soon as possible. Data left on the computers for more than one month can be deleted without notice. NO CD-RW, DVD-RW or USB portable drives are allowed as they can carry viruses that may infect the computers.

14. No third party software, drivers, or plugins should be installed on the computer stations without prior approval of the facility manager.

15. When technical assistance is required, it will be provided by appointment only.

16. Samples at, or above, biohazard Level 2 are not allowed in the facility.

Please acknowledge the LDI Flow Cytometry Facility in any publications you have that include data acquired in the facility.

These rules are subject to change if deemed necessary
by the LDI Flow Cytometry Facility staff.