New Users

If you are a first time user, before you begin:

  • Schedule an appointment with EMC staff to discuss your project.  This will allow us to make suggestions for experimental design, which could make the work done more efficient.  Please complete the sample request form for SEM and bring it to EMC staff for your appointment.
  • After the consultation, you will have to decide whether and how you would like to proceed with your project.  In order to operate the facilities independently, you may have to complete a training session with EMC staff and submit the New User's Form (fillable) so EMC staff can create your user account.
  • If you prefer to have the EMC staff conduct your work, you will still be asked to be present during the work so EMC staff can acquire desired information for you.  However, it is much more efficient to collect the data yourself.
  • In some case, EMC staff may not be familiar with your research materials or protocols you are going to follow.  It is always a good idea to bring publication articles that utilize the same or similar protocols to EMC staff as it is much easier to modify an existing procedure than to create a new one.

When using the EMC facilities:

  • Always remember to sign up for the use of EMC facilities.  Sign up sheets are posted on the front door of the Center (Room 012).  You can also contact EMC staff by phone (902-420-5709, 902-420-5013) or by e-mail to sign up.  For detailed information please refers to Scheduling page.
  • Be sure to sign the log sheets for each instrument you use.  These records not only charge for usage, but allow us to keep track of usage for instrument maintenance purposes.
  • If the equipment does not appear to be operating properly or if you think the equipment is mal-functioning, please contact EMC staff immediately.  DO NOT PANIC - it may not be your fault!!
  • Never leave equipment running unattended!  Make sure the equipment is left in a safe and acceptable shut down or standby mode if you need to leave your station.
  • Clean up the work space after your work has been completed.
  • Remember to copy and remove your files from the computer.  EMC staff would regularly clean the hard drives in order to maximize the computing performance.  Any files left on the computers may be deleted without prior warning.

Additional Notes:

  • For the purposes of funding and facility justification, it is requested that if you use EMC services for any aspect of your research, teaching or publication that you acknowledge those services as having been provided by the: Electron Microscopy Centre, Saint Mary's University.  Please also provide one copy of any publication for our files.
  • In some cases it will become obvious that the staff is contributing more than just technical advice to a project. In these cases it may be appropriate that the users include the EMC staff as a co-author. The distinction would be that the staff member is doing work on the project to an extent that is not usually provided to other clients of the Center, and that he/she is helping interpret and give direction to the portion of the study that deals with electron microscopy. Co-authorship with EMC staff will not excuse the investigator from cost recovery for supplies or use of the equipment.

For any other questions or information about specific problems, contact:
Xiang Yang
902-420-5013 (lab)
xiang.yang@smu.ca

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