Frequently Asked Questions
Cell, Protein and DNA Core Facilities
General Questions
May I suggest a new service or instrument?
By all means, yes. The ABCore is always looking to upgrade equipment as well as providing state of the art equipment to all our users. Any input is appreciated. Please contact John Houghton
What do I do if there is a problem with the instrument?
First- note the problem in the logbook next to the instrument so that someone coming behind you will not try to use a broken instrument. Second- contact Sonja Young or "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh or any member of the core facility . As soon as they are contacted, they will start the repair process.
How much will I be charged to use Core facility equipment?
This varies with each instrument. Not all equipment has a usage charge. Please browse the website for more details or contact "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh or Sonja Young. for more specific information
What is the Core shipping address?
161 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30303
What is the Core physical address?
100 Piedmont Ave
Atlanta, GA 30303
How do I find out what equipment is available for use?
Browse the Core facility website, under “Instrumentation / Browse All” and you should find out most of the information that pertains to that piece of equipment as well as which member of the core facility is in charge of that particular piece of equipment. Contact that core member, or refer back to FAQ question #7
Training Questions
How do I get access to the core facility rooms?
You can get access by going through a training session on the equipment that is available in the room. Training is given by core personnel, ONLY. Please contact any member of the staff to arrange for training.
What do I need to do to get training on common equipment?
Each August, after the semester begins, there will be flyers giving details as to when and where training sessions will be held. These flyers are posted on Kell 405 poster boards (no poster boards in Kell) as well as on PSC and NSC Boards by the elevators. Information will also be broadcast to Biology, Chemistry and NI personnel. If you miss this training, please contact "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh or Sonja Young to request additional training. When we have 6 or 7 names, an additional training session will be scheduled using Doodle calendar.
After training, what do I need to do to gain access to rooms in the core facility?
At the end of training, you will get an access form that is appropriate for your Research Activities and Department, highlighting the equipment on which you had been trained. Once you have filled out the form and have all the necessary signatures (PI, Chair of Dept), you should take the form to PSC 519, along with a copy of your panthercard (front and back) and hand it to either "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh or Sonja Young. If they are not available you may leave the form and your Panthecard information in their mailbox in the Biology main office on the 4th floor PSC.
After I Submit the Basic Training Form, what happens?
a. If you were trained in the NSC and/or Kell Hall – Debby will make copies and pass along the information to Barry Grant in the Biology Office. Barry will give you access on your panthercard. Unfortunately, he does not do this everyday. Usually he is able to grant access to different rooms in the NSC once a week on Fridays. If after a week or so you still do not have access, email "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh and she will find out the status of your request.
b. If you were trained in the PSC – "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh will make copies (she doesn’t make copies for Ralph) and submit your application for security access to Ralph Terrell (Building Security Manager). Ralph will then grant access and send you and email to inform you of this. Please read the security policy statement that is attached to his email. Failure to abide by these instructions will result in your access being revoked as matter of security.
I was granted access, but I not longer have it. What happened?
Access to the NSC/Kell access is handled through Barry Grant. If you replaced your panthercard, you will have lost access until Barry is able to update your access information. Access to the PSC is handled by Ralph Terrell. Assuming that you have followed his instructions in his email (see Answer to 4b) and that you are a current member of the University System, it is more than likely that the problem lies with the panthercard system. Sometimes, especially in the period between semesters, a few people can be dropped from the system. Please contact "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh and she will request that your access be restored.
How do I get training on specialized equipment?
Identify the equipment on which you would like to be trained using the appropriate link on the core facility website. If you click on the Equipment image or link an information page will appear that has the necessary contact information on it. Please contact that member of the core staff to setup a day and time for training.
Service Questions
How much will I be charged for a service?
This charge varies with each service. Please go to the appropriate button in the toolbar under “service” to find out more information about pricing , or whom to ask.
Where do I take my DNA samples for sequencing?
Fill in the DNA sequencing “Sample Submission Form” with your DNA samples to room 533 PSC. email Ping Jiang for more details.
I would like to have some cells sorted, what do I need to do?
Please go to the toolbar and click on “Service / Cell Sorting”, and/or contact "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh
I need Mass Spec service, what do I need to do?
Please go to the toolbar and click on “Service / MALDI”, and/or contact Hyuk-Kyu Seoh
I need Microarray service, what do I need to do?
Please go to the toolbar and click on “Service / Microarray”, and/or contact Sonja Young
What is the approximate turnaround time for each of these services?
a. DNA Sequencing: Approximately 2 business days
b. Cell Sorting:
c. 2 D gel without MS analysis:
d. MS analysis:
e. Microarray:
f. 454 sequencing:
g. AFM:
After completion, what information and data can I expect to receive from the Core
Upon completion of requested service for-
a. DNA Sequencing: you will receive an email with the electropherogram and 2 text sequencing files
b. Cell Sorting:
c. 2 D gel without MS analysis:
d. MS analysis:
e. Microarray:
f. 454 sequencing:
g. AFM:
I need to quantitate my gel, bands, filter, etc. What options do I have?
No Answer
BookMyLab & LabGate Questions
How can I get access to the online calendars?
Many of the specialized instruments that are available in the core facility use Bookmylab for online calendars, access and billing, as well as LabGate to physically gain access to the instrument. To gain access to these specialized pieces of equipment you may reserve the instrument for an appropriate length of time by logging on to the online calendar (login button is present on the top right of the tool bar menu of this site) BEFORE you go ahead and try to use it. When you are trained on one of these instruments and the appropriate form is submitted, you will be sent an email describing how to use the software and how to log-in to the online calendars
Why can’t I log into LabGate or the online calendars Bookmylab ?
It is most likely that you have not been trained on an instrument that requires access or you have not submitted the appropriate form. If either of these is the case then refer back to the answer to question 7. It is also possible that either the system is down or your email has been entered incorrectly. If you contact either "Sandy" Ying-Sin Hsieh or Sonja Young they will try to help you.