Machine is available for booking from Monday to Thursday 9:30am - 5:30pm, and Friday 9:30am - 5:00pm. No booking for Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays.

The system is accessible for booking up to 7 days in advance. No booking or cancellation is allowed one day before the planned session to use the machine.

Every user must fill in his/her name, time range, special request such as full-session technical assistance.

The minimum booking slot is 30 min and each user can book up to 4 hours on a weekly basis. Request for extension is possible providing the following slot is available based on the closed booking schedule.

Confocal microscope is a delicate and complicated instrument that presents hazards (classed as 3B laser hazard). Misuse can cause damage and serious personal injury. Go through the operation manual and training materials to get familiar with the safe use of the machine in the correct manner.

To get permission for independent operation on the confocal machine, each user must go through supervised manipulation under the lab officer for a term of accumulative ten hours. The permission will be issued by the lab officer in charge on a case-by-case basis.

Hours of operation are 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, and 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM for Friday. Changes in lab operating hours will be posted 24 hours in advance when ever possible.

Minimum chargeable and booking duration is 30 minutes and users are charged for all hours booked at the rate of s$10 per hour. In the event of a microscope malfunction, user will not be charged.

All users should note down on the users log for each session their name, date, and PI's name. Write down also in the comments area any malfunction,warning messages, and other relevant information.

In addition to keeping record in the log-book, a user should report immediately to the lab officer of any problems that prevent the normal operation or need prompt service.

Report offenders of lab rules to the instructional staff.

Always follow instruction manuals for operations. If one is not sure about certain operation, consult an experienced user or lab staff.

NEVER attempt to repair or modify the microscope without specific direction from the laboratory staff.

It is users' responsibility to download/backup their own results.

Inform the lab officers in advance of any live cell imaging to be done.

Report to the lab officer of any messy situation on the working area prior to commencement of your work, or else you will be imputed.

NEVER EVER look directly at the laser!!!  

Use the correct immersion medium for its respective objective. Do not switch back and forth between oil (100x), water (63x) and air (10x, 20x, 40x) objectives without wiping the oil away from the oil objectives.

Do not operate the microscopes and computer with contaminated gloves. Inform the lab officers of any spills that occurred in the unit.

Clean the oil objectives or wipe the water lens after use. Clean the oil off of the oil immersion lens with lens paper wetted with 75% ethanol (provided).

Remove all your items, e.g. gloves, tips and slides, from unit after use. Maintain a clean work environment.

Quit the software, with the laser light and mercury on if there are users after your slot at the same day.

If any abnormality or problem is encountered during the operation of microscope, contact the laboratory staff and log the problem in the daily LOGBOOK.

Observe the operating hours of the lab. You must leave the lab by its closing time - no excuses, no exceptions!

First offence: the lab officer in charge will inform the user and their supervisor via e-mail. The user must respond in a memo to the lab officer and their supervisor with acknowledgement of the rules violation and an explanation of what steps will be taken to ensure the violation will not be repeated.

Second offence: your account will be automatically suspended for two weeks. An exception: loss of access privileges may occur for first time violations of the most obvious and fundamental laboratory rules, which result in serious confocal microscope damage and downtime.

Repeated rules violations may result in permanent loss of access privileges. This situation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis by the Confocal Committee.