In message  Fay Hansen-Smith writes:
> I would be interested in your opinion of the following issue.  It is
> has been a policy here that graduate students receiving institutional
> stipends are given responsibility for the oversight/maintenance of
> specific research instruments, ie, usually spectrophotometers,
> centrifuges, etc. It is now being suggested that our LSCM system (BioRad
> 600 and Codonics printer; no maintenance contract in place) be included in
> the list of instruments
> for which a student will be assigned as "primary care" person, including
> training of new users.
 
Everything depends on the character of the student and their research.  1)  As
mentioned by others, they'd need to need the instrument to complete their
research.  2)  They need to want to understand the instrument and its
engineering--essentially, they need to train themselves as if they were a BioRad
tech.
 
We had such a system with one grad student and it worked superbly.  However,
there aren't many grad students as bright, talented, and well-suited to the task
as that fellow.  If you have such a student, then you're set.  However, I'd be
very cautious about simply appointing a grad student to the task of keeping the
thing running well.  They may not be up to it.  All it takes is for them to
drink a little too much coffee on the morning that they try to adjust the mirror
on the Kr-Ar laser, and you may find yourself handed a bill for $10,000.
 
Good luck!
 
Martin Wessendorf PhD, Asst Professor                [log in to unmask]
Confocal Microscopy Facility                            (612) 624 2991 (voice)
Dept Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy                        (612) 624 8118 (FAX)
University of Minnesota