Information for external users (SPC Facility)

The integrated Sample Preparation and Characterization (SPC) Facility is located next to the PETRA III beamlines. The facility is an open platform accessible for internal and registered external users who would like to perform on site quality control measurements or optimize their samples that are destined for crystallization or SAXS measurements.  Users may also benefit from several SPC services at a reasonable cost and/or may have access to some instruments to perform further purification on site or even to perform affinity measurements to complement their study. The SPC staff provides scientific expertise, advice, protocols and training upon request. In order to have access to the SPC facility and use some of the instruments, users must read this document carefully in advance and bring a signed print out to their local contact upon their arrival at PETRA III.

Questions?
Please contact the SPC at: spc@embl-hamburg.de

SPC team contact

Before coming to the SPC Facility

The integrated Sample Preparation and Characterization Facility (building 48e) is located next to the PETRA III beamlines (building 47c) and CSSB (building 15).

Map of DESY campus

• Users who would like to use the SPC Facility should send a request to their local contact at least two weeks in advance. You should describe your experiment, the equipment requested, the time slot that you need, and if you need training for the requested instruments. Only users, which have been properly trained on the requested instruments, can use it on their own. The SPC will send you an email (cc: local contact) to confirm your booked time slot. Consult the instrument, equipment and consumable list to know what is provided by the SPC Facility. You may contact the SPC Facility or your local contact in case of doubts.
• Read, sign and fax a copy of the General External User Policy.
• Complete the Safety Briefing and Examination.

The day of your experiment

• Request a magnetic badge to access to the SPC laboratory. The kitchen laboratory which contains the ice machine, vacuum pump and the cold room are always unlocked.
• Users should meet the SPC Facility staff with their local contact at the start of the user visit so we can show you where to find the equipment that you requested and inform you about technical details.
• We will assign you bench space in case you need to prepare your sample.
• Read and follow instrument protocols posted close to the instrument. In case of doubt, or in case of a technical problem please inform your local contact or the SPC Facility staff immediately.

After finishing your experiment

• Follow the procedure to clean the instruments that you used.
• All used materials have to be disposed of properly.
• Experimental data must be saved on an external hard drive or USB key.
• Inform SPC Facility staff that you finished before you leave.
• All material broken during the user experiment or missing items that can be linked to user access will be claimed from the users through their local contact.

*Please note that all material broken during the user experiment or missing items that can be linked to user access will be claimed from the users through their local contact.

Acknowledgements policy

Please acknowledge any substantial contributions of the SPC Facility to your research in publications. Next time you publish a paper involving a significant contribution from the SPC facility, please state in the acknowledgement:

We acknowledge technical support by the SPC facility at EMBL Hamburg.

Please provide feedback to the SPC Facility when you publish papers that acknowledge us. This will help us to keep track and to justify the existence of the facility to our sponsors.