Basic laboratory practices

Practice a “leave no trace” philosophy - try to leave the lab at least no messier at the end of your day than it started.
Closed toe shoes, long pants and a lab coat should be worn whenever working in the laboratories (exposing your legs and feet can result in injury if something falls).
The use of scented shampoos, perfumes, colognes, etc. should be avoided when working around flies / rodents / people.
A lab roster that includes contact information (phone numbers and e-mail addresses) is located on a whiteboard in the lab.
All containers need to be clearly and properly labeled.
Each lab member is expected to learn how to clean/sanitize equipment after use.
Many of the materials in the lab are “communal”, however, some items are assigned to specific projects. Be familiar with all projects, so that you know what belongs to whom.
Please let the the lab manager know when needs to be replaced or acquired. Orders are usually submitted at the beginning of each quarter, so try to plan accordingly.
If a lab member for some reason wants to purchase something out of pocket with their own money, it can probably be reimbursed, but this should be the exception, not the rule. Please ask the lab manager before purchasing anything.

When in the rodent lab, everyone must wear a yellow disposable cover coat.
No food or drinks are permitted in the rodent lab.
Protocols for all IACUC (rodent) experiments must be available for review in an easily accessible 3-ring binder.

When in the fly lab, water bottles for human consumption should be restricted to one designated table in the fly lab. Food and other drinks should be kept and consumed elsewhere (e.g., student lobby).
If working with flies, each lab member is generally expected to start and maintain their own colony. If storage containers or vial racks are needed, please notify the lab manager.
Fly population boxes are generally assigned to individual lab members. Please do not disturb other lab members’ populations.