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COVID-19 Related Frequently Asked Questions

Please check below for the most frequently asked questions regarding the revised IMSERC operations policies related to COVID-19. In case you have additional questions which are not covered by the operations training presentation , please email IMSERC Director . Furthermore, please read for specific Campus updates as summarized in the university-wide COVID-19 related frequently asked questions list.

Crystallography

1. How do I reserve room time for using diffractometers and/or microscopes?

Room reservation is required by all users. We have created on NUcore four 'Room' calendars for Crystallography related work according to the recommended capacity. Please book these calendars for the time you will need to be present in the room. Following this, make the reservation for the instrument use as normal. Thus, two separate reservations must be made, i.e., one reservation for the room and one for the instrument. The residence time for the 'Room' reservation does not have to match necessarily the full duration of your instrument time, this is true especially when you are using an automated collection. 'Room' calendars for at least Crystallography (BG60/66) and PCM (B172/176) work do not require starting the scheduled reservation. The name of each 'Room' calendar and its use are:

  • 'XRD #1 (Single Crystal/Microscopes in BG60/62)' and 'XRD #2 (Single Crystal/Microscopes in BG60/62)' : Reservation for single crystal work and/or work on the microscopes in BG60/62. In case you have finished your crystal screening and/or microscope work early, please end your 'Room' reservation, so other users can utilize the extra time. In case you finish using the single crystal diffractometers early, end your instrument reservation and email the user listserv as normal
  • 'XRD Powder Room #1 (BG66)' and 'XRD Powder Room #2 (BG66)' : Reservation for using the powder diffractometers or picking up measured samples in BG66

For example:

  • If you are running an automated pxrd measurement that takes 10 mins to setup and 1 hour of measurement time, reserve the 'XRD Powder Room (BG66)' calendar for 10 mins that coincides with the starting time of your scheduled instrument time, book the corresponding instrument calendar for 1 hour, and reserve either the 'XRD Powder Room #1 (BG66)' or 'XRD Powder Room #2 (BG66)' calendar for 5 mins to retrieve your measured samples ideally just after the end of the measurement
  • In case you need to use one of the microscopes without occupying any of the diffractometer, reserve time only on the 'Room' calendars, i.e., 'XRD #1 (Single Crystal/Microscopes in BG60/62)' or 'XRD #2 (Single Crystal/Microscopes in BG60/62)' . The room with the single crystal diffractometers (BG60/62) has a capacity of two people (excluding staff). In case a user occupies the room while using only one of the microscopes without using any of the diffractometers, only one additional user is allowed in the room to use the diffractometers and/or second microscope

2. I have sample(s) to submit for service work, do I need to make a room reservation?

Reservation is optional, you don’t have to reserve the room under the assumption that:
  1. The drop off process takes less than one minute, and
  2. You maintain the recommended 6 feet distance from other user(s) in the room

3. How do I retrieve my measured Crystallography sample(s)?

When you are picking up user measured powder samples, reserve time only on the 'XRD Powder Room (BG66)' calendar. All staff run samples (single crystal or powder) will be assumed for disposal, unless Crystallography staff is specifically notified otherwise. Sample pickup will be at the front of IMSERC to the right of the Ground floor entrance in a box labeled for both MS and Crystallography sample pickup. Please let IMSERC Crystallography staff know if special storage considerations are required

4. I have reserved the room but I see more people in the room than those expected based on the room reservation system

If the additional ‘unscheduled’ person in the room is a staff, it is acceptable to enter the room. Room capacity has been determined with the assumption that at least one staff is in the room at all times. When a staff enters the room to help a user, user must stand at the designated area in the room which is marked with an ‘X’.

In case the additional ‘unscheduled’ person is another user, please report the incident either to IMSERC Director or anonymously


Mass Spectrometry

1. How do I reserve room time for using Mass Spec instruments?

Two calendars have been created for MS. 'MS#1 (BG70)' and 'MS#2 (BG70)' . Please reserve space in these calendars for residence time in the facility (the time you will need to be present in the room). Following this, make the reservation for the instrument use as normal (making sure it coincides with the residence time reservation in the MS room).

2. How do I retrieve my measured staff-run MS sample(s)?

All samples will be assumed for disposal, unless MS staff is specifically notified otherwise. Sample pickup will be at the front of IMSERC to the right of the Ground floor entrance in a box labeled for both MS and Crystallography sample pickup. Please let IMSERC MS staff know if special storage considerations are required.

NMR Spectroscopy

1. How do I reserve room time for using NMR instruments?

There are NUCore calendars of two NMR rooms for the two high throughput NMR instruments: 'NMR #1 (X500)' is for X500 and 'NMR #2 (Ag500, Silverman B530)' is for Ag500.

We strictly enforce the room reservation policy. Violator’s privilege of using our facility will be suspended on the 2nd violation after warning is given for the 1st. Please reserve 5 minutes for your session on corresponding room calendar, longer only if it is necessary, e.g. you have multiple samples to set up. Go ahead set up your sample when your reservation comes up. You don't need start/end your reservation on NUCORE. For your own safety, please report to us if you see anyone in the lab without reservation.

There is no room reservation needed for A600, Au400, HFCN600, and Hg400. That means these instruments only require the normal NUCore time reservation. You should make reservation on instrument only for A600, Au400, HFCN600, and Hg400. Only one person is allowed on each instrument at a time. Please do not bring your lab mates/friends to your reservation!

2. Where is the wash station for NMR users?

The wash station for NMR is located in the MS lab. Please follow the blue tape sign for NMR on the floor to wash station. After finishing, proceed to NMR lab by following the one-way route.

3. Do I need to reserve room time for the walkon instruments (X500 and Ag500)?

Yes, please follow room reservation policy as described under '1. How do I reserve room time for using NMR instruments?'

4. How do I retrieve my measured NMR sample(s)?

  1. General tube pickup
    If you are able to reserve NMR room on NUcore, you can do so to enter the lab to pick up your sample as usual. Otherwise, please wait for next day when all finished samples will be put in the login area in front of Yuyang’s office and you can pick up there. The ag500 samples will be also outside of the B530
  2. Superuser tube removal (we are discouraging this and it should be done by staff to leave time for user access to acquire data)
    For time being, we are not asking superusers to remove finished samples. The users are allowed as usual to empty finished samples from auto sampler if the queue is full
  3. Long experiments like VT where the tube is not automatically ejected … this requires a reservation
    If you are able to reserve NMR room on NUcore, you can do so to enter the lab to pick up your sample as usual. Otherwise contact IMSERC NMR staff to get your sample to the pickup area

5. Where do I prep my sample for solid state NMR?

You can prep your solid NMR samples at the table next to A600.

Physical Characterization

1. How do I reserve room time for using Physical Characterization and/or Optical instruments?

We have created on NUcore two 'Room' calendars for Physical Characterization and Optical work depending on the location of each instrument . Please book these calendars for the time you will need to be present in the room. Following this, make the reservation for the instrument use as normal. Thus, two separate reservations must be made, i.e., one reservation for the room and one for the instrument. This residence time for the 'Room' reservation does not have to match necessarily the full duration of your instrument time, this is true especially when you are using an automated collection. 'Room' calendars for at least Crystallograpy (BG60/66) and PCM (B172/176) work do not require starting the scheduled reservation. The name of each 'Room' calendar and its use are:

  • PCM #1 (B172) : Reservation for the thermal analysis instrument
  • Optical #1 (B176) : Reservation for FTIR, Polarimeter, and XRF instruments

Book the 'Room' reservation calendar with the estimated time you'll be spending in the room. For example, if you are running a thermal analysis measurement that takes 10 mins to setup and 12 hours of measurement time, reserve the 'PCM #1 (B172)' calendar for 10 mins and the corresponding instrument calendar for 12 hours

2. I need to use the microbalance in B172, do I need to make a room reservation?

Yes, you need to reserve 'PCM #1 (B172)' with the approximate time you’ll be occupying the room. Microbalances do not have an instrument schedule on NUcore, therefore room reservation is the only reservation you need to make

3. How do I retrieve my measured staff-run sample(s)?

All staff run samples will be assumed for disposal, unless Physical Characterization staff is specifically notified otherwise. Sample pickup will be at the front of IMSERC to the right of the Ground floor entrance in a box labeled for both MS and Crystallography sample pickup. Please let IMSERC PCM staff know if special storage considerations are required.

4. I have reserved the room but I see more people in the room than those expected based on the room reservation system

If the additional ‘unscheduled’ person in the room is a staff, it is acceptable to enter the room. Room capacity has been determined with the assumption that at least one staff is in the room at all times. When a staff enters the room to help a user, user must stand at the designated area in the room which is marked with an ‘X’.

In case the additional ‘unscheduled’ person is another user, please report the incident either to IMSERC Director or anonymously