Our laboratory in the New Physics Building is equipped with an AVIV-202 circular dichroism spectrometer, a.k.a. the CD machine. Researchers and collaborators from other UF laboratories are welcome to use this machine. If you are interested in using the machine, we recommend that you first educate yourself a little. The following websites offer a quick introduction:

• CD Tutorial (LLNL)
• CD of Proteins (Jasco tutorial in PDF)
• Introduction to CD (Leeds)

If you would like to use our CD machine, we only ask that you follow some reasonable guidelines:

• Please telephone at least one day in advance to confirm that the machine will be available when you wish to use it. Please also give us a call just before you come over, so that we can turn on the N₂ flow system.
• Please bring and use your own CD cuvettes and glassware. Although we don't mind sharing our small supplies such as Kimwipes, Q-tips, parafilm, etc., we cannot lend delicate but pricey items like quartz cuvettes, spacers, micro-stirbars, etc. We will be happy to give you the necessary specifications so that you can buy these items for yourself.
• Please bring an experienced user from your laboratory. The experienced user is someone who has informed me that he/she is knowledgeable about the CD instrument, and that he/she accepts responsibility for the proper use of the instrument. This includes accepting responsibility for any accidents or damage to the instrument.
• Please have your experienced user sign and date the logbook when you start up and shut down the CD machine. Make note in the logbook of any problems that were encountered with the instrument.
• Finally, please show proper respect for this costly instrument. We do not have a lab technician on the payroll to maintain this device, so all the users must pitch in. Please follow all written instructions for its operation, clean up any spills, be alert to problems and be sure to report them, do not twiddle with critical instrument or software settings, and do not load any additional software on the PC.

Please contact me if you have any questions about these guidelines.

Steve Hagen

7/11/2002