[lm-announce] Reminder: when you finish with a microscope....

[sswift]

Dear All,

Please can I remind everybody to leave the microscope in its standard  
configuration when they finish.  We all know how it goes - you finish  
late on the microscope, you just want to get out the lab to pick up  
your kids, hit the pub, make a meeting etc - but if you've been doing  
something a little whacky on the scope and you don't put it back to a  
standard configuration, the next user will have no idea what you've  
been doing and won't know what the problem with his/her experiment  
is.  I've compiled a list of 10 problems we've had in the last 2  
weeks.  In some cases, the experiment was ruined (e.g. the chamber not  
being at the right temperature) in other cases people have assumed  
their labeling didn't work (e.g. when the UV blocking filter was left  
in).  All I would ask is that you budget 10 minutes at the end of your  
session to put the microscope back in its standard configuration, move  
your data, clean up properly and just have a quick look around before  
you leave to make sure you've got everything you came in with.  If we  
find another Ipod left in the microscope room, we'll ebay it.  Sadly,  
the second hand market for used tissue and old slides is a little less  
buoyant at the moment.

The other point that's worth making is that if things look a bit weird  
when you sit down on the microscope, do come and ask us to give things  
the once over for you.

OK, here goes -

1.  Environmental chambers - it takes a long time to heat a microscope  
up.  If you adjust the temperature, or turn the chamber heater off,  
you must turn it back on again when you're finished.  Also, please  
remember that you can image fixed cells at 37C, you just can't image  
live cells at room temperature.

2.  UV blocking filters - if you use a UV blocking filter in your  
experiment, you must remove it afterwards.  Otherwise, the next guy on  
the microscope thinks there's a major problem with his DAPI or CFP or  
what have you.

3.  Dichroic mirrors - on the DVs, put this back in the Quad position  
when you've finished.

4.  DIC parts/Condenser/Lenses - these belong back in the Workstation  
room when you're done.  This makes them available for other users.   
Furthermore, an analyser and prism will cut about 2/3 of the  
fluorescent light in the next user's experiment.

5.  Consumables - if you finish the last of the oil or the lens paper,  
don't leave it up to the next guy to have to go and get spares.

6.  Dust covers - if the microscope doesn't have a chamber it should  
have a dust cover on it when you're done.  And please make sure it  
isn't touching the fluorescent lamp housing, else it'll melt.

7.  Clean up - clean the lens, take away your old slides and dishes.

8.  Move your data - it's in your interests; the hard drives fail more  
regularly than you think.  And microscopes that are full of old data  
run a lot more slowly.

9.  QLMs - for those of you using the laser module on the DVs, make  
sure you pop the flipping mirror back out (it cuts 50% of the light  
and totally confuses the next user who thinks their labeling is  
rubbish) and please remember to turn the lasers off.

10.  Cameras - if you swap the cameras over, swap them back again.   
AND, check it works before you turn it off - you might have knocked a  
cable out and the next user won't know where to start if that happens.

Thanks in advance!
Sam