[lm-announce] Light Microscopy - READ ME!

[Sam Swift]

Hi,

Please could you all just take 5 minutes to read through the  
following, even if you think it does not affect you just now.

Thanks!
Sam


It has come to my attention that some microscope facility users feel  
they are not receiving sufficient training or continued support in  
their use of the facility's systems.  I was a little disappointed to  
hear this because we have always made an effort to make you, the  
user, our top priority.  With this in mind, could I please take this  
opportunity to remind you that -

1.  Your first session on the microscope is designed as an  
introduction.  We fully expect you to come and ask us for further  
help as you need it.

2.  Our work load has increased dramatically in the past 12 months.   
Although we will always try to help you if you drop in to see us, we  
can't guarantee that we will be available.  If you know that you are  
likely to need some help, even if it's just help in getting started  
in the morning, please let us know ahead of time rather than trusting  
that we'll be on hand.  If the microscope isn't working we will drop  
everything to get it fixed where possible.  I do have a mobile/ 
blackberry for these emergencies.

3.  We are always happy to help you with new techniques as your work  
changes.  This might include DIC, Photokinetics, Live Cell imaging or  
whatever you can think up that sounds interesting.  We don't teach  
you all this stuff as a matter of course because i) you may ever need  
it and ii) it would be an awful lot to take in at once.  So please  
book time with us so that we can show you these techniques properly.

4.  If anybody wants to learn more about the theory behind microscopy  
I am always happy to run through this, either on the whiteboard or  
with a slide show.  I can also point you in the direction of useful  
review articles and websites.  Again, just ask.

5.  If you have come to us with a problem and you don't think we've  
addressed it properly, please let us know.  We can only fix things if  
we know they're broken.


Could I also just take a moment to remind you of some "house rules"  
and make some suggestion for the New Year -

1.  Please remember that you must not train a new user yourself.   
Somebody from the facility needs to do this.

2.  When you use a different microscope for the first time - even if  
it appears to be exactly the same - you need to let me know so that  
somebody can run through the differences with you and let you know if  
there are any "local rules" about the microscope.  Each microscope is  
set up slightly differently and each group likes the microscope in  
their lab to be put back to a slightly different basic set up.  To  
help with this and avoid conflict, I will put a list explaining these  
differences next to each microscope, but please don't forget to come  
and see us first time you use it.

3.  I have had a LOT of emails this year complaining about sloppy  
behaviour.  Could I please remind you that you must not eat or drink  
in a microscope room, you must fill in the log book, you must clean  
the lenses, you must move your data and you must check if somebody is  
on after you before turning off the lamp.  Dust sheets should go back  
on, MICs should be turned off, slides and dishes should be taken away  
with you.  This is common sense stuff and simply shouldn't be  
happening.  Could I also suggest that we all try and be a little bit  
more tolerant next year  - people will make mistakes from time to  
time and I can promise you that pretty well everybody has screwed up  
once or twice last year.  If somebody accidentally leaves a laser  
mirror in, it might be annoying but it's hardly a hanging offense  
either.

4.  Lamps need to be changed around 400 hours.  It would be very  
helpful if you could let me know when they're at 350 hours rather  
than 399 hours.

5.  If anybody is having any outstanding problems with data  
management or access (e.g. links to calendars, server addresses,  
still waiting for a user account) could you please let me know about  
it as soon as possible.

6.  Our contact details and roles are:

Sam Swift:  Light and Electron Microscope Facility manager.  Room 1.45B
s.swift at dundee.ac.uk  x86412  mobile: 07971320612

Calum Thomson:  Light Microscope, Histology and Printing Technician.  
Room 1.45F
c.thomson at dundee.ac.uk x88755

Paul Appleton:  Software and Applications specialist.  Nathke Lab,  
3rd Floor WTB.
p.l.appleton at dundee.ac.uk  x85825

We also have points of contact for a number of microscopes:

If you can't find us and need urgent help on the scopes in Angus  
Lamond's lab, please speak to Laura (l.trinkle- 
mulcahy at dundee.ac.uk).  For  Tomo Tanaka's lab scope it's Etsushi  
(e.kitamura at dundee.ac.uk) and for the Jason Swedlow microscope it's  
Arwen (a.c.wilcock at dundee.ac.uk)