Rates and Policies

Below are the services we offer along with corresponding rates:

*Reduced Rates:

Time lapse imaging: Fifty percent hourly rates after three hours of continuous use on live imaging systems. Contact staff for daily rates available for very long experiments.

Off-hours: Fifty percent hourly rates for all use weekdays between 7pm and 7am and on weekends. 

Time lapse and off-hour discounts cannot be combined.

Please refer to Author Information page for projects requiring extensive input or involving the development of novel strategies are eligible for project rates. 

External Users: Rates are twice the internal rates and time on instruments is restricted to Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.

All users of the Microscopy and Advanced Bioimaging CoRE must adhere to the following policies. 

Training

• All users are trained by qualified facility staff.
• Users are not permitted to train other users.
• Trainings are performed one per user per platform free of charge. For specialized applications further training will be provided free of charge during a user’s booked session.
• Refresher trainings will be offered as a current-rate assisted session. Users are highly encouraged to schedule their training close to the date they expect to start using the equipment for data generation.
• Following a training session users will be put on a two-week probationary period, during which they are permitted to use the microscopes on regular business hours (9am-5pm, M-F). During the probation period CoRE personnel will evaluate their mastery of the instrument(s) and policies. If deemed necessary, CoRE personnel may arrange further assisted session(s) at current rates, until the user can demonstrate proficiency.

Making Reservations 

• Reservations are made on a web-based calendar.
• Users are each assigned a unique username and password for logging into facility workstations. Users are not permitted to share user accounts.
• Once a user has completed training and demonstrated adequate proficiency, they are provided information to access the facility 24/7.

Cancellations, No-shows, Extensions 

• Each microscope has a penalty-free cancellation period for any reservation, generally 24 hours. Reservations will be deleted and users will not be billed. 
• Edits to reservations are permitted up until the end of the penalty-free period for that microscope. Between that time and the start of the reservation, users must contact CoRE personnel to modify or cancel reservations. Cancelled reservations will not be fully removed; users will still be charged for their reservation time unless another user books over all or part of the reservation. If only some of the original reservation is rebooked by another user, any remaining time will be billed to the original user. 
• No-shows and unused time will be charged as regular sessions. In the case of a no-show training, the session might be charged at current rates at CoRE personnel’s discretion.
• Reservations may be extended only if the system is not already booked for the following time.
• Users are required to log-off after their allotted time, especially if the system is booked following their session. If a conflict occurs, current-time reservations take precedence and any ongoing experiments will be terminated to adhere to scheduled time.

Electron Microscopy Policies

• An Initial meeting with Bill Janssen and Allison Sowa is required to discuss project feasibility, scheduling, and prices for every EM project.
• Users will be provided a quote with "projected costs" that includes a 25% price buffer to cover unexpected project needs (e.g. additional sample preparation services, more imaging time than anticipated, etc.). The quoted amount does not constitute a "will not exceed" cost for the project. Final billing, which occurs on a per-month basis, will be only for "known charges," that is, actual services rendered during that month.

Safety and Compliance 

Note: All relevant compliance documents are required to obtain access to the systems. 

• All users of laser-based imaging systems (i.e. confocal microscopes, multiphoton microscopes, Ultramicroscope) requires the completion of the online "Laser Safety for Researchers" course on PEAK. A certificate of completion must be on file with CoRE personnel prior to training or microscope use.
• Users with BSL2 or BSL2+ specimens must have an approved standard operating procedure (SOP) signed by the Biosafety Officer on file with the Microscopy CoRE prior to bringing samples to the facility.
• All live animal imaging requires IACUC approval prior to using the facility. A signed approval must be on file with the Microscopy CoRE.
• No gloves are allowed when handling any microscope system or workstation. For the Ultramicroscope, current glove policy is explained during training.

COVID-19 exception to the glove rule: Users are allowed to use ONLY CoRE-provided gloves on systems. No outside gloves permitted. 

Data Policy

All data should be saved on our local server and not the microscope workstations. Users are responsible for the immediate collection and backup of their data. The Microscopy CoRE does not provide archival or storage services for data; computers are purged monthly. Any data stored on the microscope PC workstations are subject to automatic deletion without notice. A free workstation is provided at the CoRE for data retrieval.

Policy for new data

1. Users can create and store files only in their dedicated folders which are:
    
   1. The Microscopy Public/ 'Temp' folder. This is to be used for day-to-day tasks like image exports, temporary storage of acquired data, etc. Purged every Monday morning.
   2. The Projects folder of the associated lab under Microscopy Public\ {Lab Name}.
   3. For instruments directly connected to the HIVE, you can connect directly to the 'MicroscopyPublic' folder by accessing the local network. All Core users should create an account on our HIVE server.
      
      
2. Files older than 21 days are subject to automatic deletion without notice. DO NOT store files long term on any Core computers.
   
   
3. Files in any folder other than the dedicated folders mentioned above are subject to automatic deletion without notice. 

Policy for duplicate data

1. Image exports will be automatically deleted without notice. Remove from the server and store locally.
   
   
2. Processed files:
   
   
   1. Stitched (e.g. Lightsheet stitched files) - After stitching keep the stitched series and remove the original series.
   2. Imaris or Arivis Vision 4D: 1. After importing to the software, remove the original dataset. Keep only the imported files.
   3. Deconvolution: 1. After deconvolution, remove the unprocessed original files.
   4. Videos and other processed files 1. These files are subject to deletion without notice. Remove from the server immediately and store locally.
      
      
3. Users can keep only one copy of each raw data set, no processed or duplicated data allowed. 

3. Final notes 
   The Core has no responsibility for storing user data, other than raw image datasets no older than 21 days. 
    
   User and lab quotas will be closely monitored, and offenders will be notified to reduce their folder size.

No exceptions to this policy without prior Core approval. The Core will accommodate special cases on a case-by-case basis.  

Equipment Failure or Damage 

You must report any equipment failure or damage immediately to CoRE personnel.  Do not hold back on reporting damage, as it causes delays for every user of the instrument. In the case of unreported damage, the last user on the instrument logs will be held responsible.

External Consultants 

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai adheres to strict policies with respect to outside consultants. All consultants working within the ISMMS can only do so with approval by the Department of Human Resources. Approved consultants do not have access to equipment and systems within ISMMS, which are provided exclusively for the use of ISMMS researchers. However, outside consultants who provide services or expertise not available within the COREs can under certain circumstances obtain approval to use equipment or services within the Dean’s CoREs. This requires a written agreement and the written approval of the CoRE’s Director. Consultants providing services that overlap with those already provided by the CoRE will not be approved. All approved use by consultants is limited to the hours of 9am - 5pm, M-F and will be charged at rates equal to use by researchers outside of ISMMS.