Contact us:

Light microscopes

Meredith Calvert
+65 9168 1302

Fiona Chia
+65 6872 7032

Electron microscopes

Ouyang Xuezhi
+65 6872 7032

Fiona Chia
+65 6872 7032

Confocal Microscope Guidelines - scroll down or click here

Electron Microscope Guidelines - click here

 

Confocal Microscope Guidelines

These guidelines are generalized for the whole facility - specific instructions may apply to each microscope, details of which will be in the individual rooms.

Training

Before using any of our confocal microscopes, training from Fiona or Meredith is required.

Please contact us to arrange an introductory tutorial (approx. 2 hours). Only after this can bookings be made and you will be added to the confocal users email distribution list - - where important announcements and changes to bookings are made.

If you are a trained user and are not yet on this list please contact Fiona or Meredith.

If you need a refresher or some specific advice, Fiona or Meredith will be more than happy to help.

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Booking

Users can make bookings up to 2 weeks in advance, and all bookings made beyond 2 weeks are subject to cancellation.

Each user is limited to 3 bookings per system per week, only 2 of which may fall within peak time (9am to 6pm during weekdays). All bookings exceeding these limits are subject to cancellation.

Each booking may not exceed 3 hours. If extra time is needed, individual bookings can be extended out of peak hours by request. If you will require extra time, please contact Fiona or Meredith and we will arrange your booking directly.

At the time of booking, you will be required to specify which laser lines you intend to use. Please be as accurate as possible, as this information can be accessed by other users in order to determine which lasers have been used.

Booking of all microscopes prior to use is compulsory, using the TLL intranet system. Make sure the booking title contains your phone number (e.g. Meredith Calvert x8406) so that you can be contacted if necessary.

If you cannot attend a booked session for any reason you must cancel the booking through the TLL intranet and email the confocal list -- to announce the availability.

If you are swapping a session with a member of your lab, you must change the booking details.

If you make a last minute changes, update your booking using the TLL intranet system.

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Guidelines

Before starting your session ensure that the equipment looks clean, undamaged and has been switched off for longer than 1 hour.

During your session:

  • Use individual TLL accounts to login to the systems.
  • Ensure that objective lenses only come into contact with the correct immersion medium and only use reasonable amounts (1 drop of oil is usually sufficient).
  • If you have any questions or problems during your session there is a list of contact numbers in each confocal room.

After each session:

  • Clean immersion lenses after use, wipe away oil using Dusper wipers and 100% ethanol.
  • If there is another booking within 2 hours: leave Argon laser on “standby” and the other (solid state, HeNe, etc) lasers on. Turn the HBO/Mercury lamp off unless there is another user within half an hour.
  • Log off your account but do not shut down the computer or the system.
  • If no one is booked within two hours turn off all the lasers as well
  • If the system has just been turned off, do not switch it back on immediately, wait at least 1 hour.
  • Fill in the log book and specify any problems encountered. If the lasers used are different from those specified in your original booking, please also make a note of this in the log book.
  • Save files on CDs/DVDs (available in TLL store) and/or on the network. The D-drive is for temporary storage only (max 500MB for each user). If there is a shortage of space on a system, data older than 2 weeks will be deleted.
  • Ensure your data has been successfully copied and backed up before deleting it. Users are responsible for their own data and no backups are made by the facility.

Last user of the day:

  • Once everything is completely shut down lock the door and return the keys to the security counter on the 1st floor, TLL lobby.
  • The last person is responsible to make sure the system has been properly shut down and the room locked. If you are the last user and you cancel your booking, inform the user before you.

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Electron Microscope Guidelines

The expert electron microscopist will help you through all stages of your work. Please contact Ouyang Xuezhi.

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