Policies and Rates

Rates: 

* Billing for flow cytometer services is based on 15-minute intervals with a minimum charge of 30 minutes

** Trained users only.

After-hours Use

The analytical flow cytometers and data analysis computer are available to trained and certified users 24 hours/day, 7 days a week. Entry code for the facility is provided on the Sample Information Form which must accompany all samples brought to the facility.

Sorters are not available after hours.

Facility staff are only available during normal university working hours.

Cancellation Policy

• You will be charged for all of your scheduled time if you do not give notice that you will not be able to make it.
• In all cases, call as soon as possible to let the staff know if you will not be able to make a scheduled appointment. We often have people waiting for time on the instruments and if someone else uses your scheduled time, you will not be charged for the time they use. If you have a reasonable excuse (illness, family emergency, etc.) we will waive your charges. 
• If you do not call before your scheduled time, we must charge you unless you have an excuse that prevented you from calling. 
• If you repeatedly make appointments and do not use the time, we will contact the principal investigator of the lab to discuss billing issues. 

Biosafety

The Flow Cytometry and Immune Function Core Facility is a dual-level biosafety lab which utilizes Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) as the minimal work practices level in the primary lab space, and Biosafety Level 2 (BLS-2) in the facility's biocontainment room. Each investigator must prepare samples in their designated laboratories. Prepared samples that are brought into the facility for analysis and sorting must be clearly identified as biohazardous (infectious or live human samples) (BSL-2) or non-hazardous (BSL-1). All infectious samples must be stored in the refrigerator in the biocontainment room. All non-infectious samples must be stored in the refrigerator in the main lab. 

Work Practices:

• Standard BSL-1 practices must be used at all locations in the facility EXCEPT the biocontainment room.
  • Infectious samples are NOT permitted in any facility locations EXCEPT the biocontainment room.
  • Use of BSL-1 personal protective equipment (gloves and lab coat) is required in all facility locations EXCEPT the biocontainment room.
• Standard BSL-2 practices must be used within the biocontainment room at all times when infectious samples are being handled. 
  • Use of BSL-2 personal protective equipment (Polyethylene coated seamless-front gown with cuffs, disposable gloves, N95 fitted mask, and safety glasses) is required in the biocontainment room when working with infectious samples.
• Surface disinfection (Lysol I.C. Quaternary Cleaner Disinfectant, 1:256 dilution) will be performed before and after each run. 
• All of the solid biological waste will be handled as biohazardous waste and must be taken back to the investigator's lab for disposal.
• The use of analytic flow cytomeres and, especially, aerosol-generating sorters with samples that contain viable infectious organisms presents a serious infectious risk to both facility users and staff. With analytic flow cytometers, the main problem is the generation of aerosols by the instrument, contamination of external surfaces, or a sample spill onto a work surface or floor in an environment not set up to handle infectious samples. 
• Use of the FACSCalibur and the LSRII with un-fixed biohazardous samples is strictly prohibited. All such samples must be sterilized with the use of an approved agent - usually 2-4% paraformaldehyde. Examples of materials that are not to be used in a viable state on these instruments include:
  • human cells (both cell lines and primary cells), since they are potential carriers of human pathogens (HIV, TB, HepB, HepC, HepD, etc.)
  • cells containing recombinant viral DNA vectors
  • any cell known to carry a potential human pathogen

Failure to follow these guidelines can result in facility access being revoked. If you are in doubt, please discuss this with the Facility Director or contact Environmental Health and Safety. 

Radiation Safety

Radioactive Materials of any kind are strictly prohibited in the core facility. Samples containing any radioactivity cannot be analyzed or sorted. 

HIPPA Compliancy

• Any data generated in the facility that comes from patients must have the patient's privacy protected as dictated by HIPAA rules.
• If you run patient samples on our machines (research only) and store your data on any of our machines or our data server, you must observe the HIPAA regulations.
• Any data stored on our hard drives (cytometer computers or data server) must not have any traceable information that could connect this data to a patient. 
• If you violate this and patient privacy is impacted, you are responsible - not the facility.