- How do I sign up as a new user?
- Where are you? What are your hours?
- Top floor of the Dental Tower, room D11-41.
- Hours: 8:30-4:30 M-F, closed UF holidays
- Phone: 273-7749. Email: molecular@ufl.edu
- What equipment is available for self serve?
- Microtomes, cryostat, embedding station, Zeiss microscope- See Equipment.
- Bring your own microtome/cryostat supplies or purchase from the Core.
- What are your turnaround times (TAT)?
- These are approximate times as they will depend on the current workload as well as the complexity of your submission.
- If you need a quicker turnaround time, please ask the staff to expedite.
- Process and embed fixed samples (P&E)- 1-3 days. Samples are placed in a paraffin processor in the afternoon to run overnight. Embedding starts the next morning and samples are ready by mid-morning. Processing is performed when there are enough samples to keep operating costs as low as possible.
- Unstained slides- 0.5-1 day depending on the number of blocks, # slides/block, and any special requests for sectioning.
- H&E and special stains- 1-3 days.
- IHC: 5-10 workdays.
- How do I fill out the Submission form?
- Download and save the WORD form on your computer.
- Fill in the required fields and check all boxes next to the services you need.
- If making tissue blocks, fill in the table for cassette IDs or send a list in Excel.
- Fill in any special requests and talk to a staff member when you drop off your samples.
- Email the completed form to molecular@ufl.edu.
- Do you accept clinical samples?
- Only those for research studies.
- How do I submit the samples?
- Bring tissues in cassettes in a leak-proof container labeled with the PI’s name and container solution (PBS, 70% ethanol). Let us know if you want your container returned otherwise, it will be recycled.
- Sign the log form at the submission counter and leave your samples on the counter.
- Provide slide boxes or purchase from the Core when getting back slides.
- How do I know when my samples are ready?
- You will be notified by email.
- Pick up your samples where you dropped them off.
- Initial and date the original submission form and leave it in the red folder.
- If you want an electronic copy of the services performed, ask at pick up or request by email.
- How do I fix and prepare the samples before submission?
- Discuss your project with Core staff to ensure optimal results for your experiments. There are many good online links.
- Adequately fix your samples and transfer them to 70% ethanol or PBS before bringing them to the core. Minimize time in ethanol to no more than 10 days.
- What size should the tissue samples be?
- Optimal is not thicker than a nickel or 3-4 mm.
- If your tissue touches the cassette sides, it is too big. If it touches the lid, it is too thick.
- How do I label the cassettes?
- Label cassettes with #2 pencil or solvent-resistant markers (listed below). Labels with Sharpies and some other ink pens can wash off during paraffin processing.
- Approved marking pens include:
- Cancer Diagnostics Moist Marker Plus from Lab Safety Supply
- HistoPrep Pen from Fisher Scientific
- Klinipath KP Marker Plus from Mercedes Medical
- Stafmark Pen from Statlab Medical Products
- Will your lab accept samples in other fixatives besides NBF like 4% paraformaldehyde?
- Yes- all fixatives are accepted.
- Transfer your fixed samples out of fixative before submitting so you are setting the fixation duration.