Subject: MCB Confocal Microscope User List

Description: Welcome to the mcb-lsm900confocal@lists.illinois.edu list, where you can send and receive emails and updates about scheduling and confocal issues for the MCB LSM900 confocal microscope.

General rules for LSM900 confocal usage:

1. Please remember and strictly adhere to the confocal booking policy:
Weekdays (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM): Maximum of 3 continuous hours per user.
Off-hours (before 9:00 AM, after 5:00 PM, weekends): No restriction on usage time.
Same-day sign-up: No restriction, but clearly note “same-day sign-up” in the logbook

2. If cancellation is unavoidable, cancel at least 24 hours in advance.
If an experiment fails at the last minute, cancel your slot and email the confocal user list (mcb-lsm900confocal@lists.illinois.edu) so others can use the time slot.

3. All stage inserts (except the default slide insert) will now only be provided upon request.

4. 10x and 20x lenses are not meant for oil and will cause optical errors if left unchecked. Please make sure there is no opportunity for any oil to get on the dry lenses when using the machine, and the oil immersion is reserved only for the 40x and 63x objectives. If you are changing from the 40/63x lens to a lower magnification one, remember to remove any oil from the lens as well as from the slide, so that no residual oil drops to the dry lens. Also, please make sure you are adding oil to the correct lens; look out for the silicone bands on the objective, which signify it is meant for oil immersion. If you are using oil, we strongly recommend cleaning all objectives with the provided lens paper.

Best,
Snigdha Mathure