1. Users who have booked the microscope have a right to use the system within the booked time. Any other users using the microscope at the time have to stop their work without delay if a user who has booked the time asks them to do so. Users who find an unattended running experiment when they reach the microscope during their booked slot have the right to stop the experiment and sign the previous user out from the PC. Any loss of data resulting from such an action is the responsibility of the users who have left the experiment running unattended outside of their booked slot.
2. If you encounter any issues with the microscope and/or PC, report them to NOBIC staff without delay e.g. by writing to nobic.facilities[..]e.ntu.edu.sg or by reporting an incident in PPMS booking system.
3. If you are working with infectious materials, you need to verify that the fixation process has completely inactivated the infectious agent. When imaging live samples containing infectious agents, all sample carriers (culture dishes, multiwell plates, chambered slides, etc.) must have their lids sealed securely with parafilm to prevent spillage. Retroviral vectors used in the samples must be non-replicative.
4. If you are using oil immersion lenses, apply immersion oil in moderation to avoid it overflowing from the lens. Clean the lens with alcohol and lens tissue directly after use, before switching to another objective. Never let immersion oil stain a dry lens. If you suspect a dry lens got stained with oil, report it to NOBIC staff without delay.
5. At the end of your session lower the nosepiece (on inverted microscope) or stage (on an upright microscope) to load position and engage a low-magnification lens. If you have been using CO₂, make sure the supply is closed properly. Close environmental enclosure (where applicable) and, if you are switching the microscope off, cover it with dust-cover (where applicable).
6. Keep the microscope room clean and tidy. Take all your samples and other belongings with you when you leave. Samples left behind will be disposed of when found. Dispose of your waste properly (coverslips belong to sharp bins, ...) and observe general practices appropriate for a BSL-2 laboratory.

7. Check the booking calendar at the end of your session (you can use the link at the desktop of all microscope PCs). If the next scheduled session starts in less than 1.5 hours, keep the system ON, otherwise switch it off.
8. If you cancel your booked session less than 2 hours before the scheduled session start, make sure that the microscope does not stay switched on unnecessarily (especially not for an extended period of time, such as overnight or over the weekend) as a result of your cancelled session.
9. If a microscope stays unnecessarily ON for an extended period of time as a result of your negligence (because you left it on despite no booked session following yours in < 1.5 hours or because you have not shown up during your booked slot or because you cancelled your session and have not taken appropriate steps - see point 7), your group may be charged for the time the microscope was on as if it was your microscope usage.
10. Save your data only to designated data folders. Data or other files stored elsewhere (e.g. Desktop, Downloads, ...) can be deleted without warning.
11. Copy your data to a network drive or repository as soon as possible, ideally directly at the end of your session. Data older than 30 days may be deleted from the microscope and image analysis workstations to maintain enough free disk space for new data acquisition/processing. NOBIC takes no responsibility for data stored at the microscope and image analysis workstations.

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