FAQs

Do I need to be part of Harvard?

No. Although a major part of our user base is from Harvard and Harvard affiliated institutions, we are happy to accommodate external users.  We provide microscope access to the Greater Boston area and beyond for both academic and industry users. If you are from outside of Harvard, please make sure to look at the detailed instructions for registration.

Should I acknowledge the HCBI in publications?

YES!  This is how we justify our existence and continue to provide you with the best imaging resources available!  We suggest the following text in the acknowledgements section of your paper:

"We thank the Harvard Center for Biological Imaging (RRID:SCR_018673) for infrastructure and support."

If you think a particular staff member(s) went above and beyond, please also mention them by name or consider making them a co-author according to this...

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SPINAL is requesting an expense/billing code, how do I get one?

Instructions for requesting a billing code 

 

1. Log into SPINAL (https://webapps.sciences.fas.harvard.edu/spinal/).

2. Under "Resources" locate the microscope you'd like to reserve.

3. Click on the "(NOTE: expense code needed)" link.

4. Complete brief online form. (If you are an undergrad or G1 choose Sarah Elwell as your lab admin!)

5. An email will be sent to the lab admin requesting that they enter the ...

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How do I get after-hours access to the HCBI?

The HCBI doors are unlocked 8AM-7PM Monday to Friday.  If you require access to the facility outside these hours, and have completed your general lab safety training and the commercial laser safety training programs through the EHS website, you can request after-hours access from hcbi_admin@fas.harvard.edu.  After-hours access is only granted to undergrads after they have been using the facility for a few weeks and demonstrate that they are well versed in the use of the equipment (this does not apply to courses using the facility...

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