COMMON EQUIPMENT

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION OF SHARED RESOURCE The Common Equipment Core resource provides support to Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC) investigators for the maintenance and operation of equipment that is shared among multiple groups or Programs with an emphasis to ensure young investigators have access to equipment necessary to their laboratories. The services provided by this resource are repair and/or preventative maintenance contracts for shared equipment, annual inspections of freezers, cryo units and balances, water filters for film processors and ice machines and maintenance and chemicals for the film processors. Shared equipment covered are four film processors, eight ice machines, four autoclaves, one Coulter counter, two real time PCR instruments, two liquid scintillation/luminescence counters, two stills, and AA/ equipment in five shared conference rooms. Equipment such as ultra centrifuges, mid-range centrifuges, scintillation counters, and imaging equipment are included to make sure young investigators have access to necessary equipment crucial in developing their laboratory Programs. In April of 2009, a newly installed centralized liquid nitrogen system went on-line to provide liquid nitrogen to multiple cryo units in the Bunting Blaustein freezer morgue (G06). Implementing this system has created additional space thus allowing an increased number of units to be housed in the morgue by eliminating the individual delivery tanks for each unit. This will be a cost savings for each investigator of approximately 50% of what they were spending on liquid nitrogen. Also, since the system is monitored, there is less likelihood of failure and offers consistent delivery of liquid nitrogen to each unit. There is a chargeback in place for this service. Service monitoring and oversight are provided by the Laboratory Facilities and Services Manager and the Laboratory Services Coordinator. User logs are required and kept for each piece of equipment where appropriate. Exceptions are film processors, ice machines and A/V equipment. There is no charge back system for these services. There is a chargeback for the use of the autoclaves, real time PCR units, the liquid scintillation/luminescence counters and cryo storage. Lay: The Common Equipment Core makes available technologies and equipment that is either too costly or impractical for individual research laboratories to invest in. The specific types of equipment range from providing basic needs such as ice machines, to the practical like a centralized liquid nitrogen delivery system for cryo storage all the way up to highly technological instrumentation such as real time PCR.