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Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
Q. What is my registration number?
A. To obtain a registration number, you must fill out the contract's registration form. This is a new policy implemented in October 2004. Therefore, even if you have received materials from us in the past, you may not have a registration number. If you have registered with the contract, and do not know your registration number, contact Megan Lucas to obtain your number.
Q. What is my password?
A. You may reset your password if necessary as long as you have your email address and registration number. If you change your password, please be sure to notify any members of your lab who will be ordering materials.
Q. When can I place an order?
A. Once you have a registration number, you can create a login and place an order. It is best to submit your order while you are working on your MTAs so that, as soon as your MTA is processed and signed, the order can be sent.
Q. What is the cost of materials?
A. The TB Vaccine Testing and Research Materials Contract does not charge for materials. However we do require that the recipient incurs all shipping charges.
Q. How do I know if my order has been received?
A. You can check the status of your order by logging in and selecting "Veiw Orders". You will then receive an automated email from your shipping carrier upon shipment of materials.
Q. How long will it take to recieve my order?
A. There is no set time frame for delivery of products. The most significant delay for new investigators comes from the time it takes to get the MTA processed. However, the delivery time is also dependant upon availability of the product as well as the number of requests we have in queue. Please keep in mind that there are over 500 registered investigators requesting materials from the TB Contract, and we have limited personnel. Therefore, we cannnot guarantee swift delivery of products. In most cases, you will receive an email if there is a significant delay expected (greater than 20 business days).
Q. How do I submit an MTA?
A. Fill out the MTA using Adobe, print three copies, and obtain the appropriate signatures. Mail all three original MTAs to Megan Lucas, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, 1682 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523. We cannot accept photocopies, FAXs, or email attachments. If you need assistance filing your MTA, please contact Megan Lucas.
Q. Who can sign the MTA?
A. The MTA must be signed by the laboratory's prinicipal investigator and an official from your institution, usually a Vice President, Dean, Director, Department Head or lawyer representing the institution.
Q. How much material can I request?
A. Default quantities are listed for all products in the materials available section. The default quantity will be provided for all requests. Larger quantities are available on a collaborative basis, or for laboratories needing to purify individual components from crude fractions. Requests for substantial quantities require a detailed justification, including experimental design, amount of material used in each assay, and preliminary results where applicable, sent to Dr. Karen Dobos-Elder. Be sure to include the name of your principal investigator. Unless a research justification is provided, you will automatically receive the default quantity.
Q. How do you define a collaboration?
A. A collaboration is defined as a highly interactive relationship between an investigator and the contract. The overall goals of these collaborations are to define either a novel activity attributed to a unique mycobacterial product, or to develop a novel technology applicable to the tuberculosis research community. Collaboration is much more than consulting or technical support. The best measurement of success of a collaboration is when grant funding results from the work, although publications are also a good measure of success. Another measure of success is an increase in the number of requests for contract materials as a result of collaborative research activities.
Q. How should I reference materials received from this contract in my publications?
A. Under the acknowledgments section, please list that you received the
materials as part of NIH, NIAID Contract No. HHSN266200400091C, entitled
"Tuberculosis Vaccine Testing and Research Materials," which was awarded
to Colorado State University.
Q. How do I store my material?
A. All material, with the exception of DNA, can be stored for up to two weeks at 4°C or frozen at -20°C for short periods. For long term storage, product should be kept at -80°C. DNA should be stored at 4°C at all times. It is recomended that, if you only need a small amount of material at a time, you resolublize the material and make appropriate aliquots, rather than freezing and thawing multiple times.
Q. How do I resolublize my sample?
A. If you received dried materials, resuspend them as follows:
- Purified proteins and lipoglycans - readily soluble in aqueous, buffered solution, with a salt concentration of 100 to 500 mM.
- Subcellular fractions - generally soluble in an aqueous, buffered solution, with a salt concentration of 100 to 500 mM. Some fractions may require sonication to achieve a uniform suspension.
- Plasmids and antibodies - molecular biology grade water. Antibodies may require bath sonication or gentle agitation to achieve a uniform suspension.
- Lipids and glycolipids - generally soluble in DMSO or chloroform. DMSO is preferred if the product is to be used in downstream biological assays. Resuspend products in a minimal volume of solvent and then dilute into buffer or tissue culture medium to use the product in biological assays. Note: Peptidoglycan and other cell wall products are poorly soluble. Sonication is generally required to achieve a uniform suspension.
Q. How many cells are in 1 gram of wet weight?
A. Each 100 ml culture of M. tuberculosis yields approximately 1 g of cells, which is equivalent to 8.7x1011 bacterial cells.
Q. Who do I contact if I have additional questions?
A. If you have questions about vaccine testing, contact Dr. Angelo Izzo. Contact Megan Lucas for all questions regarding research materials. Be sure to include your principal investigator's name in all correspondences.