We routinely hang a clear plastic tarp on the ceiling over our instruments that is drained to the side so that water leaks will not damage instrumentation. This has already saved our butts once.

--
John J. Lemasters, MD, PhD
Professor and South Carolina COEE Endowed Chair
Director, Center for Cell Death, Injury and Regeneration
Departments of Pharmaceutical & Biomedical Sciences and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Medical University of South Carolina
QF213 Quadrangle Building
280 Calhoun Street, MSC 140
Charleston, SC 29425

Office: 843-792-2153
Lab: 843-792-3530
Fax: 843-792-8436
Email: [log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Vergara, Leoncio A.
Sent: Monday, October 26, 2009 11:45 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: New building options - feedback request from facilities NOT located on ground floor/basement

Flooding ...good point.

Leoncio Vergara MD
Post Ike microscopist
Galveston-TX


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Timothy Feinstein
Sent: Sunday, October 25, 2009 9:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: New building options - feedback request from facilities NOT located on ground floor/basement

Hi Adrian,

You might want to consider the possibility of flooding.  My experience probably makes me a bit jaded, having rescued a confocal from indoor rain twice while studying for my doctorate, but it strikes me as an issues that could affect on which floor to situate a facility.  Even given that newer buildings should have fewer problems (in theory at least...), when below ground level you can not control the integrity of nearby water mains.

More experienced microscopists can better say whether this issue comes up often enough to affect your planning.

Good luck and all the best,


Tim Feinstein
University of Pittsburgh


> Hi all,
>
> The University with which we are affiliated is currently planning a 
> large new research building which will incorporate an (optical) 
> cellular imaging facility.
>
> The design brief expressed a preference for a ground floor/basement 
> location for the imaging facility but the current plans have the 
> facility located on the 4th floor.
>
> The plan is that the facility will house a mixture of optical 
> microscopes, ie confocal, multiphoton, widefield etc, and (by the time 
> the facility is built), super-resolution.
>
> (At this stage there is also plenty of room for future expansion/new
> technologies)
>
> I'm interested to hear experiences/feedback from people about just how 
> important it is to have such a facility on the ground floor/basement - 
> ie just how much is that a consideration in a new, purpose-built 
> building? I know of many places (here included) where advanced 
> microscopes are NOT on the ground floor but I'm keen to hear if there 
> are locations where that has been a failure or there have been 
> unexpected complications etc.
>
> All feedback gratefully received.
>
> Regards,
>
> Adrian Smith
> Centenary Institute, Australia
>

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