Policies

The regular hours of the BSC-Norman are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Currently, all equipment use is on a first-come, first-served basis. Scheduling for use of equipment can be done by contacting the facility director, Dr. Len Thomas, lmthomas@ou.edu, (405) 325-1126.

For new users, introductory training sessions are required for each facility instrument. The training fee is $40/hour. The length of these sessions will depend on the instrument. Additional training sessions may be required. Once a user has been authorized by the director, equipment may be operated independently. All users should be current on their laboratory safety and hazard communication trainings through onpoint.ou.edu along with Ionizing Radiation Safety training through the OU Radiation Safety Office (https://compliance.ouhsc.edu/RSO).

External usage of the BSC-Norman is restricted to academic and non-academic projects requiring Xray crystallography or cryoEM sample preparation services. Fees for external usage will be based on all costs incurred by the BSC-Norman in the operation of the facility, including: direct usage and sample preparation, maintenance costs, operator salary, fringe benefits, administrative costs, and indirect cost. Please contact the facility director for questions about external usage and rates: Dr. Len Thomas, lmthomas@ou.edu, (405) 325-1126.

Logbooks are provided for each piece of equipment in the BSC-Norman. Each time a piece of equipment is utilized, an entry must be placed in the logbook. Entries will vary but will include the following: name of the user and user’s PI (if different from user), nature of use, date, time (starting and finishing) of use.

LN2 use in the BSC-Norman facility is routine, but care should be taken. Eye protection along with appropriate hand, leg, and foot protection must be worn when transferring LN2; cryo gloves are available. Note that LN2 can boil explosively and displace room air/oxygen. Contact with skin can cause burns. Only store and transfer LN2 or other cryogens in approved designated containers and use only with approval.

Due to the presence of an X-ray source, users of the facility are required to take annual training in radiation safety. Please contact the facility director for training schedule. You have the right to contact University of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma radiation safety officials anytime.

Users are requested to acknowledge the BSC as applicable (see example acknowledgment to the left):

1.     If data are generated using BSC resources, a statement acknowledging the BSC and the COBRE grant should be included in the manuscript.

2.     For major intellectual contributions by the BSC director co-authorship may be appropriate.