Policies
General Policy Heading link
- Samples submitted for projects will be saved for 2 weeks after the service is completed. Longer term storage is available for additional cost. Shipping samples will incur regular shipping charges. DNA and RNA samples can be preserved using Gentegra tubes, if requested, for an additional fee (http://www.gentegra.com/).
- Samples submitted for Sanger Sequencing will be saved for 4 weeks and then discarded. If you would like to get your samples back, please indicate that on the request form and we will return the samples back to the drop off location.
- Samples submitted for NGS amplicon sequencing projects will be saved for 8 weeks after the service is completed. Longer term storage is available for additional cost. Shipping samples will incur regular shipping charges. DNA and RNA samples can be preserved using Gentegra tubes, if requested, for an additional fee (http://www.gentegra.com/).
- Samples submitted for quality analysis and quantification will be discarded after results are posted. If you wish to have your samples returned please arrange at time of request.
- No samples will be accepted for ANY of the services, except for Sanger Sequencing, without iLab service request and prior arrangement with the technician in charge. For Sanger Sequencing service, please initiate an iLab service request and drop off samples accordingly.
- Sequence data will be shared with customers using the iLABs system, and data will be linked to each project request.
- Sequence data from NGS sequencing will be shared with customers using Illumina’s BaseSpace cloud storage and analysis system. Please provide DNAS facility staff with your BaseSpace account prior to providing samples (https://basespace.illumina.com/).
- The DNAS facility is a research facility, and is not CLIA-certified. We will make our best effort to obtain the best possible results; however, please be aware that we cannot guarantee results, and that the quality of some samples and some nucleic acids may be too low for us to process properly. We will attempt to troubleshoot as best we can, but ultimately, it is incumbent upon the investigator to provide samples and nucleic acids of high quality.
Scheduling Policy Heading link
The DNAS facility houses two real-time quantitative PCR machines available for customer use (ABI 7500 and ViiA7), along with an acoustic shearing device (Covaris S2). Scheduling for training and use of these instruments is available through the iLABs website.
(a) After-hours access policy:
- Customers are more than welcome to borrow keys
- A deposit of $10 is required
- The deposit is only returned if the key is returned during the next business day.
(b) First time users:
- Training by DNAS facility staff prior to use of instrumentation is mandatory!
- A general training for qPCR instruments is performed in CMWT A-310 for both 7500FAST and ViiA7 on alternate Mondays. In order to attend, please initiate training by clicking the tab “initiate training” next to either one of the machines in the iLABs “Schedule Equipment” tab. If you are having problems, please contact us in advance by email kunstman@uic.edu ; training on all user equipment is necessary.
(c) Modifying/Canceling reservations:
- Reservations cannot be modified less than 24 hours before the scheduled time. Reservations can be deleted more than 24 hours in advance. Cancellations less than 24 hours before the scheduled reservation will be charge a cancellation fee of $12.
- Scheduling appointments
- Please use common courtesy when using these machines! These instruments are shared resources and their use is greatly facilitated by observation of facility rules.
- Please be sure to schedule adequate time for plate loading and run time, including a melt curve, if appropriate. If you are late loading a plate, please ensure that there is no one scheduled after you. Theoretically, if your run exceeds the scheduled time, the customer after you has a right to stop your run without waiting for it to finish.
- Conversely, please do not stop a run without having contacted members of the DNAS facility first. Stopping a run should only be done as an absolute last resort.