Welcome to the Lab

Welcome to the Finkelstein Lab! This page is a quick-start guide for all new lab members. Everything you need or want can be found on the wiki. Give it a once over.

Contents

1. Lab Access
2. Lab Members & Meetings
3. Working in the Lab
4. People to meet

1. Lab Access

1.1 Keys

To get access to the lab and the building, edit the following e-mails to include your details.

• John Estes, CNS Facilities Manager john.estes@austin.utexas.edu
• Key people molecular_biosciences@austin.utexas.edu

Hi John,
Can you please give <<YOUR FULL NAME>> keys to MBB 3.422A, as well as prox access to the building?  Here is his/her info:

    Person’s full name: <<YOUR NAME>>
    Person’s UT EID: <<YOUR E-ID>>
    Person’s Department: <<DEPARTMENT or MAJOR>>
    Person’s position: <<YOUR TITLE>>
    End date: unknown
    Room number(s): MBB 3.422A; 3.422F; 3.422B

Thanks,
Ilya

• Everything you want, including the door to John Malkovich’s mind, is in room 3.422EA

1.2 Do Online

1. Ask the lab manager to add you to the finkelsteinlab GitHub organisation so you can edit this wiki.
2. Complete Lab Safety Classes
   • http://ehs.utexas.edu/training/lab-training-requirements.php
   • UT EID is required
   • ALL lab members take courses OH101, OH102 (taught by supervisor), OH201, OH202, OH 204, OH207, OH 241 and FF205 (1 hour fire extinguisher course)
   • Complete OH304: Laser Safety
   • Complete OH301: Basic Radiological Health
   • Complete OH218: Bloodborne Pathogens (only if you need to use the Tissue Culture room)
   • Safety courses will be retaken every 3 years
   • Click on http://ehs.utexas.edu/training/lab-training-requirements.php to see your training history and to find new classes.

2. Lab Members & Meetings

• Complete Conflict of Interest training.
  • UT EID is required
• Update the group_contacts page.
• Group Meeting is on Monday at 1:00 PM in NMS 3.106
• Journal Club is on Thursday at 3:00 PM in NMS 3.106
• See the lab manager for more details
  • The lab calendar is shared through the lab’s Google account.

3. Working in the Lab

1. Introduce yourself to the Rancillo Silvia.
2. Familiarize yourself with proper use of lab instruments.
3. Read about how to maintain a Lab Notebook.
4. Learn the system for storing plasmids, oligos, strains, and proteins. Freezer Storage
5. Some protocols for Getting Started at the Bench
6. Do Good Science!

4. People to meet

• John Estes, Facilities Manager, CNS Operations (building, keys, outages), john.estes@austin.utexas.edu
• Ann Harasimowitz, Director, Facilities and Safety, Molecular Biosciences, ann.harasimowitz@austin.utexas.edu
• Isabel Mireles, Lab Safety Specialist, EHS (lab safety, biosafety cabinets), isabel.martinez@austin.utexas.edu

Contacts checked October 2026.