From Lehka Devarayalu for the UW Biochem Sequencing Facility:

1. ONE ORDER = ONE PLATE = 96 TOTAL SAMPLES ….. (there should be no empty wells).

2. Samples are to be loaded in vertical columns going from A-1 to H-1, A-2 to H-2, A-3 to H-3 and so on till A-12 to H-12 .

3. We must receive the full 12 �l volume of ‘DNA + primer + dI water’ cocktail.

4. Since the sample volume is small, the plates must be ‘V’ bottomed, 200 �l capacity (not 500 �l), stable on bench-top, and well-sealed to withstand cross contamination between wells in transportation from Rosen to Hitchcock.

5. The plates must be CLEARLY LABELLED WITH THE CORRESPONDING ORDER NUMBER. ORDER NUMBERS ARE UNIQUE NUMBERS GENERATED BY THE SOFTWARE. If instead of order numbers, plates bear #1, #2, OR ‘forward,’ ‘reverse,’ etc., THEY WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

6. Being ‘high throughput’ and fast, we do not want to be tethered to the client by phone/by e-mail following each sample drop-off. Please take the time in your lab to MATCH THE PAPER-WORK WITH SAMPLES. If you are “too rushed” …. STOP …. keep the samples with you!

7. When new users from your group want to use our facility… please, work with them a few times until they are comfortable with these guidelines.

Dec 7, 2004