Here are listed the main things you need to do to get started using LMU services.
First contact
- Read the user policy.
- Register in Open IRIS and submit LMU project form (see instructions).
- In the user access form you should describe your project so that we get an idea what instrument will be best.
- Meet LMU
- After we get the form we will arrange a time for the meeting where you will present your project to us and we can solve together unclear points about your project. During the meeting we will update your user form, accept it and at the end we arrange a training time for the most suitable microscope.
- If you are not from the Institute of Biotechnology, please fill in the key activation form.
- If you are not from University of Helsinki, please fill in a EuroBioImaging application.
After the training
- Book microscope in Open IRIS.
- LMU offers several network spaces to store your data.
- External hard drives pose security risks and are not recommended.
- External hard drives may also be quite unreliable and often slow.
- Contact LMU staff
- It is best to always send email to lmu-staff@helsinki.fi. This address reaches all of us, so even if one is sick or travelling, the others can respond.
- If you don't have much experience with microscopes please take a look here for imaging fundamentals and here for optimizing your imaging parameters. These should explain the basic terms that will come up during the meeting / training and that you will have to report when you publish your data.
- Depending on the project it is perfectly normal to spend weeks or even months optimizing the sample and the imaging settings. However it is important to remember that sample preparation is roughly 85% of the imaging project. If the sample is not perfect very little can be done at the microscope to save the day.