Dear Donghui- The autoMACS is VERY easy and very FAST to use (as compared to the manual multiMACS...no slow-flow columns). So far we had no maintenance problems; at the end of the day we do the routine cleaning/shut-down procedure and that's it. We do have multiple users (usually not in the same day) and here is how we do it: * the instrument is in a dedicated biological safety cabinet (hood) so staining, separation etc. is done at the same place * we share the columns (install and keep them for ~1 month...keep a log, alternate who supplies them. The columns are good for ~100 separations otherwise they rust ~1 month, ~$60/column) * I make and QC the solutions (easy, cheap) * everyone has their "favorite" separation protocol and their own antibodies-beads (human, simian, murine) * we all compare results (most of our separations are for DC, pDC subsets, T-cell subsets) * we are still friends but sometimes I have to "growl" (cleaning the hood) * I am responsible for maintenance...(it is ours) * the technical support at Miltenyi (Jacquelyn) is very knowledgeable and helpful (regarding specific applications...the use of the instrument is very easy) Please let me know if you need more specific information. Vera S. Donnenberg phone (412) 648-7323 fax (412) 624-9624 -----Original Message----- From: Donghui Cheng [mailto:dhc@iastate.edu] Sent: Monday, December 17, 2001 10:17 AM To: cyto-inbox Subject: autoMACS Dear Flowers, Could people with autoMACS (Miltenyi Biotec) comment on use of the instrument, ease of operation, maintenance, etc. What is the most important thing for a shared instrument among multiple users, any way of keeping track of usage. Thanks for any input. Donghui Cheng Iowa State University
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