Cell and Tissue Culture

General Rules

- Access to the Cell and Tissue Culture Service will only be granted to those users authorized by the responsible researcher, and who previously request it to the Technician in charge of the Service, by sending an e-mail to: rosanchez-ibis@us.es, the form that can be found on the IBiS server bulletin board (Annex 1).

- No user will be able to access the Service without previously having knowledge of the Service Rules. - Access to the culture laboratories will be controlled through an electronic system. Each user will have a card that will allow him/her to enter and leave the laboratory assigned to him/her.

- The card is PERSONAL and UNTRANSFERABLE. Its misuse will result in the deactivation of the card, and the user will not be able to request new access for one month after the incident. 

- The user must ALWAYS swipe the card at the entrance and exit of the laboratory, even if the door is open at that moment.

- The use of the following personal protective equipment (PPE) is mandatory for the performance of any procedure in the culture laboratories:

•   Disposable gown. 
•   Surgical masks.
•   Protective gloves certified against biological risk (EN ISO 374-5).

- The doors of the culture laboratories must remain closed at all times to maintain the highest sterility and containment inside the laboratories.

- The assigned culture laboratory must be maintained by the user in perfect conditions of cleanliness and sterility. The person in charge of the Service will supervise the facilities daily, communicating any incident to the user IRs. In case the incidence persists, it will be communicated to the Management.

- The user must collect and store all his material in the place assigned to his group in the laboratory. The person in charge of the Service will discard any material that is not properly stored. 

- The transport of biological material from the culture laboratories to another laboratory or facility within the IBiS building must be done in hermetically sealed containers. These containers should be disinfected before removal from the culture laboratory.

- If the water level in a bath is not sufficient, the user may refill the bath. The distilled water tap is connected to a rubber band that allows this to be done easily. The technician in charge of the Service will periodically clean the bath and add the necessary products for water maintenance. Before cleaning, users will be notified in advance.

- Users must refill the various dispensers when they are empty. Each lab has carafes of 70% ethanol and lysol under the sink. The lysol will be replenished by the technician in charge of the Service. 

- Periodically, users must clean the spaces assigned to them, so as not to accumulate objects that are not useful.

- The user must make sure that the waste containers are not too full. In the case of the yellow container, close it and deposit it in the green biohazard container; in one of the compartments of the culture laboratory there are stored for replacement. In the case of the green container, it is the responsibility of the person who fills it last to close it and leave it in the corridor next to the door of the corresponding laboratory before 11:00 a.m. to be replaced by the personnel of the Cleaning Service. 

- If this time is exceeded, the closed container will remain inside the culture laboratory and must be replaced the following day. 

- Periodically, users should clean the contents of the refrigerators and freezers to eliminate reagents that are in poor condition or that are not used. When necessary, the technician responsible for the Service will be in charge of defrosting the equipment in coordination with the users and facilitate the orderly transfer of the material to another freezer.

- The user must make sure that all the equipment, the cabinet, the vacuum pump, the microscope, the centrifuge and the bathroom are turned off, if there is no other user in the room who is going to use them.

- It is forbidden to leave the culture area with the work gloves and/or gowns.

- It is forbidden to use cell phones inside the cultivation area.

- It is forbidden to bring solid or liquid food inside the cultivation area.

- The lighting of the ambient UV light will be in charge of the Security Service. The Security Service personnel, after supervising that no user is working in the culture laboratories, will give the order to turn on the lights automatically. They in turn will be in charge of turning them off after the estimated time has elapsed.

- It is forbidden to carry out any extraordinary activity (e.g. doctoral courses, masters,...) that requires the use of the facilities of the Culture Service.