Orientation

Welcome to the Wang Lab. Our research is focused on the cellular, neural and hormonal aspects of social behavior and therefore, we have taken on the unofficial name of the Laboratory of Socioneurobiology. Academically, we are part of the Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences at the Florida State University. We are also associated with the Neuroscience Program.

The laboratory is organized in a fashion to offer a fair opportunity to anyone who is interested and willing to devote the considerable time and effort to achieve basic discoveries in the life sciences. Excellence in research depends on the smooth running of the laboratory. This requires that you understand what we expect in terms of laboratory policies, biosafety practices, and animal care. The purpose of this orientation is to spell out each of these in considerable detail. You will need to understand fully these expectations before working in the lab. At any time, we want you to ask questions about things that are not clear.

General Policies

1. You will receive a lab notebook before beginning work in our lab. All methods and results must be recorded in your lab notebook. If you don't record it, as far as I am concerned, you didn't do it. All data produced in this laboratory are owned by the lab. You are urged to make copies of data for use at home, in your office, and when you leave the lab. The originals, however, stay in the lab.

2. Members of the laboratory are expected to adhere to schedules of work. Everyone is expected to establish a schedule indicating the times he/she will be in the laboratory. This is important as some communications occur on the basis of the schedule.

3. Every member of the laboratory participates in the general care and maintenance of the lab. Everything in the lab is assigned to a space and should be returned after use. Replace chemicals and solutions as they run low. Do not assume that the next person has an extra 2-3 hours to find and replace missing equipment and chemicals. The lab and animal rooms are to be kept clean and orderly at all times: in other words, clean up after yourself. You need to wash your own dishes and clean your bench space.

4. Progress of the research depends upon efficient and timely communication. It is essential that I be kept informed of the problems, so that we can discuss resolution and future directions.

5. You are welcome to use the books, journals, and journal articles in my office. However, you are required to leave a note containing the volume, title, author, the date and the borrower. Be sure to return them to the same place as you took from.

Lab Safety and Animal Care

The use of radioisotopes, chemical carcinogens and other hazardous chemicals create a potential for biohazard in the laboratory. In order to minimize potential biohazards and provide for the safety for all of us, the following precautions are to be adhered to at all times. They are also necessary to protect the laboratory from liability and, as such, are not voluntary. Failure to comply with the general or specific regulations for use of radioactive, biohazardous or carcinogenic compounds will be brought to the attention of the University Biosafety Office and Dr. Wang for appropriate action.

General:

1. All members of the laboratory must complete the requisite courses offered by the University Safety Office.

2. All eating and beverage drinking must be confined to study desks or office area. There will be no smoking in the laboratory.

3. Handle all materials for light-microscopy with proper attention and care. Fixatives are deadly poisons, embedding media are potent allergens, and clearing agents are highly explosive. Be especially careful to avoid contamination from fixatives.

4. Broken glassware should be kept in the specific container.

5. All flammable liquids should be stored in safety-cabinets.

6. Take off your gloves before handling the phone or grabbing the doorknob.

Radioactivity:

1. You are required to take a radiation safety course before using radioactive isotopes.

2. All use of radioisotopes must be carefully recorded on the computer file in the lab.

3. Protective clothing (lab coats & gloves) must be worn while working with radioactive materials.

4. All radioactive waste must be disposed of in the appropriate container and recorded. This includes the distribution of radioactive waste into solid and liquid phases as well as what goes into the animals.

Animal Care:

1. Each individual is responsible for the care and maintenance of his/her research animals. Because everything in this laboratory depends ultimately on healthy animals, their proper care is of paramount importance.

2. Every procedure with a live animal must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A copy of approved protocol is on file in the lab.

3. Voles will bite. You should wear gloves before handling these animals and you should receive instruction in the procedures for injecting and restraining unanesthetized animals.

4. All animal carcasses and tissues for discard must be sealed in a plastic bag, and placed in the freezer in the appropriate basket. The bags are then collected, placed in a garbage bag, sealed, and then taken for disposal.

It is assumed that each and every member of the laboratory will conduct themselves according to the highest standards of ethical conduct. In addition to the above items regarding animal care and health, each individual must be aware that fraudulence in the conduct of experiments, analysis of data, or in the preparation of scientific manuscripts will not be tolerated. Any such episode will result in dismissal from the laboratory and the appropriate University and Federal authorities will be notified.