Policies and Guidelines

The Northeastern University Mass Spectrometry (NUMS) Facility is located on the Boston NU campus at 140 The Fenway (TF, Contact – Northeastern Mass Spectrometry Facility), room H351. The NUMS Facility is available to both internal and external users. The guidelines set forth below apply to all users unless the differences are explicitly stated for internal or external users. Users are expected to follow all OARS, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and University general policies. The policies below are specific to the NUMS Facility.

2.1  Food, Beverage, Cosmetics

NUMS Facility is located in a chemical laboratory space. Due to the nature and sensitivity of the research and instruments, the possession or consumption of food and/or beverages is strictly prohibited in the MS Facility. The use or application of cosmetics in the MS Facility is also prohibited. 

2.2  Safety, General Practices, Protective Equipment & Personal Attire 

Users are expected to follow all OARS, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, and University safety and general policies. All users are expected to follow good laboratory practices in handling of chemicals, waste, and instrumentation. Users must follow all policies and directions of NUMS staff, such as posted notices, e-mail communication, verbal instructions, guidelines posted on the NUMS Facility webpage, etc. If there are questions, please contact the personnel of the Facility.

Be aware of the nearest fire extinguisher/alarm, safety eyewash, sink, chemical spill kit, and evacuation routes to exit the building during an emergency.

Lab coats: The NUMS Facility is a laboratory space; therefore, users must wear a lab coat while inside the Facility. Users are welcome to use their own lab coat, pick up a lab coat on the 1^st floor of the 140 Fenway building, or may request one, in advance, from NUMS Facility staff. 

Gloves: Appropriate gloves are required when handling or manipulating samples and hardware equipment. Users should remove gloves to operate or interact with equipment controls and computer workstations. Nitrile gloves are provided free of charge to all users. 

Shoes: Users should wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes with non-slip soles, such as sneakers or athletic shoes. Open-back shoes, such as sandals or Crocs, are prohibited.

Eye protection: Appropriate eye protection must be worn at all times in the laboratory, which may be safety glasses, chemical splash goggles, or other protection, depending on the specific work being carried out. 

Respectful behavior: Users must maintain a respectful and professional demeanor while in the Facility.

2.3  Facility Access 

The NUMS Facility is open for use 24/7 year-round, except when the university is closed (see holiday schedule), however we can only guarantee it will be staffed during business hours (typically Monday-Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM).

The entrance doors to the NUMS Facility are locked 24/7. A doorbell is available for new users and visitors to use to gain access to the Facility during business hours. Setting up an appointment with the MS Facility staff is recommended to access the Facility. Active users can use a university-issued ID to access the Facility. 

Per University guidelines, undergraduate students are not allowed to access the Facility unattended during off-hours.

Users who want to access the Facility off-hours may request access by speaking with facility staff. Staff will review the nature of the work, frequency of use, and relative risk when considering requests. If approved, users may be asked to complete additional biosafety and instrument training. External users might be asked to register for a university ID/sponsored account.

 Users may not prop the entrance door to the Facility at any time.

2.4 Identification

Users should have and display a university-issued ID (NUID) while in the NUMS Facility. 

2.5 Sample-related limitations and requirements

No radioactive materials are permitted in the Facility

No biohazardous materials that require BSL2 lab safety are permitted in the Facility – these include infectious viruses, toxins, human tissues, biological fluids, viable plasmids, etc.

All samples have to be clearly labeled with the laboratory name at minimum.

To ensure quality mass spectrometry analysis, samples must be prepared using compatible reagents and procedures. Always wear gloves when handling samples and use freshly prepared glassware and reagents. For SDS-PAGE, visualize protein bands with Coomassie Blue or MS-compatible silver stains, then store excised bands in moist conditions at 4°C. When preparing in-solution samples, select compatible buffers and avoid high detergent concentrations, as they can interfere with analysis. Consult facility staff if using detergents. To prevent keratin contamination, handle samples in a dust-free environment. For intact molecular weight analysis, always check with staff before preparing samples. Please request more detailed information and guidelines from the MS Facility personnel.

2.6 Consumables & Hazardous Waste

Users must provide their own reagents and supplies to conduct their experiments. The NUMS Facility has a small inventory of certain reagents and supplies available to purchase or borrow on a first-come, first-served basis.

The NUMS Facility will provide standard LC-MS-grade solvents (water, methanol. and acetonitrile) and specific samples to run quality control experiments (see below).

Users are required to inform NUMS Facility staff of any hazardous chemicals or reagents that they plan to bring into the Facility for sample preparation or that will be used during their MS-based or other experiments.  

Waste must be disposed of properly and in accordance with university policy. Reagent-specific waste disposal is not provided by the Core Facility. Only reagents that can be disposed of down a sink are permitted to be disposed of within the Facility.

Hazardous waste containers are available for the disposal of gloves, pipette tips, and kimwipes. Sharps containers are available for the disposal of needles, or other sharps used during a session. 

If needed, users should clean their instrument/workstation at the end of each session. Cleaning supplies are available for use in the NUMS Facility. 

2.7 Damage

Users should immediately notify NUMS Facility staff of any instrument/equipment/workstation that appears broken or damaged. Users should not attempt any adjustment or repair on their own. NUMS Facility staff will diagnose and repair the problem as quickly as possible. In the case of unreported damage, NUMS Facility staff will contact the last user on record to investigate. Users who damage an instrument, accidental or otherwise, may be subject to retraining and instrument repair costs. 

3.1 Facility Booking Software

The university uses Priority Software® FBS to manage its Core Facility. Reservations, scheduling, and billing are all handled through FBS. Existing users may access the portal here (Priority Software Logon).  

New users must complete required safety training and either an instrument skills assessment or instrument training session with NUMS Facility staff prior to receiving access to FBS. 

Internal users will be asked to provide a valid Banner index number at the time of each new reservation. From time to time, instruments are taken offline for general maintenance or repair and users will not be able to book time in FBS while the instrument is offline. Only ledger 2, 3, 5, or 6 accounts can be used. If a ledger 5 is provided for payment, a ledger 2, 3 or 6 account must be provided as backup.

3.2 Access & training

Access hours: the NUMS Facility is accessible between 9 AM and 5 PM. Users must adhere to these hours unless special permission is granted, and only trained users are allowed in the NUMS Facility.

Users must undergo mandatory training sessions with NUMS Facility staff to ensure proper handling and operation of the mass spectrometry instruments. Additional training in data analysis and interpretation can be provided by the Facility staff according to the rates outlined below.

Instruments are to be used only by trained/approved individuals with permission of the MS Core Facility personnel and upon successfully completed instrument access scheduling.

Users are required to complete the following training before they can freely reserve and use an instrument: 

Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety, Hazardous Waste Management, and Refresher if due.

Biosafety Training Online, and Refresher if due (and provide MS Facility staff with a certificate of completion) if the user plans to work with biological samples.

3.3 Instrument skills assessment or instrument training session.

All Users must be trained by NUMS Facility staff. Users are not permitted to train other users. 

Two initial 2-hour instrument training sessions are required for all new users. Sessions are billed at the instrument’s hourly rate. Users are highly encouraged to schedule their training close to the date they plan to start using the instrument. Refresher training is also available and offered at the instrument’s rate.   

Upon completion of the instrument training sessions, users will be allowed to use any instrument during regular business hours (9am-5pm, M-F). Facility staff will evaluate the user’s instrument proficiency during the first two weeks of use. If deemed necessary, facility staff may require further training sessions, until the user can demonstrate proficiency. If the user experiences any issues with the instrumentation and methods, they need to contact the MS Facility personnel via email and text messages immediately.

3.4 Instrument Usage

All instrument time must be reserved in the FBS system (Priority Software Logon).

Reservations can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance (contact NUMS for special circumstances) without incurring a fee.

The billing time is the actual reservation time. If time runs over, the user needs to amend their reservation in the FBS system if possible and if prior reservations allow.

There is a 30-min buffer time slot between two consecutive reservations to allow the user to set up. No charges will be applied to this time slot.

Columns and samples that belong to the user should be removed at the end of the reserved time slot.

Users are responsible for the proper handling and care of the instruments. Any damage caused by negligence may result in additional charges for repair.

3.5 Data Management

The NUMS Facility doesn’t guarantee long-term storage of data on its workstations, as data may be routinely cleared. Users are encouraged to transfer their data to approved personal or lab storage systems and keep regular backups. The MS Facility staff is happy to assist with data transfers, but users should verify their backups for integrity. The Facility is not liable for any data loss. The NUMS Facility is working towards having individual logins to secure data. For security reasons, portable storage devices are not allowed; please use secure network drives or cloud services. Only authorized software should be used, and installing unapproved software is not permitted. Workstations are secured with unique logins, and users should log out after each session. If you suspect any security issues, please report them to IT or management right away. Please request more detailed information and guidelines from the MS Facility personnel.

3.6 Quality Control (QC) Analyses

Each user is required to run QC analyses using the procedures and samples provided by the NUMS Facility before and after analyzing his or her samples.

3.7 Modifications, Cancellations, No-shows

Users may modify a reservation in FBS at any time but not later than 24 hours prior to starting a session. During a reserved session, users may extend their reservation in FBS if the instrument is available (e.g., not booked by another user). Once a reservation ends, the reservation cannot be modified in FBS. Contact NUMS Facility staff to report any discrepancy or issue with a reservation.  

Users who complete their experiment before the reserved instrument time ends can modify their reservation in FBS to reflect actual use and avoid charges for the unused instrument time. This must be done at least 24 hours before the reserved instrument time ends. Therefore, the reservation time adjustments will be impossible after the required 24 hours cut-off time limit.  

Where required, in addition to the FBS reservation, users should write in their actual start and end time in the physical log sheet next to the instrument. This log will be checked by staff each business day. 

If a user does not show up for their reserved time, the provided account will be charged for the reserved instrument time unless the user cancels the reservation at least 24 hours before the reserved time slot.

3.8 Rates and Fees

NUMS Facility rates are updated periodically in accordance with NIH guidelines and best practices. Current rates are located on the NUMS Facility website. 

3.9 Invoice & Billing 

Users are invoiced on a monthly basis. Invoices include instrument use by date, time, and rate, as well as the amount due and payment instructions. Users have 10 calendar days to dispute the invoice. 

Internal users are charged automatically after 10 calendar days of invoice date, unless a dispute arises from the user and/or PI. The invoice amount is deducted from Banner index account code on file for the user. 

External users can pay via check ,and the invoice will provide instructions on where to send the check. Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date.

Please acknowledge the NUMS Facility and Northeastern University in any publication or grant application where its instruments, knowledge/expertise, or data helped support research activity. We suggest the following text in the acknowledgments section of your paper: “We thank the Mass Spectrometry Facility at Northeastern University for consultation and mass spectrometry-based analytical support.” 

If significant analytical and intellectual input by the NUMS personnel was contributed to the publication, the NUMS personnel involved in the project is expected to be included among contributing authors (based on the contribution).

The NUMS Facility staff would love to hear about any grant applications or papers accepted for publication.  If a publication or a funded grant arises from work performed at the NUMS Facility, please let the NUMS personnel know by e-mailing Dr. Virginie Sjoelund at v.sjoelund@northeastern.edu and Dr. Alexander Ivanov at a.ivanov@northeastern.edu.

The NUMS Facility is more than happy to support your grant application with all available resources. You can draft a letter of support for your specific grant proposal. Please e-mail the letter to Dr. Virginie Sjoelund at v.sjoelund@northeastern.edu and Dr. Alexander Ivanov at a.ivanov@northeastern.edu for approval. The Facility will reply to you with a final, signed pdf letter of support and will provide a description of the Facility resources and biosketches of the most relevant NUMS Facility personnel.