The following charges for researchers/users have been approved by the Chemistry & Biochemistry BSC-Norman Oversight Committee. Comments and questions about these charges should be directed to the facility manager, Len Thomas, (405) 325-1126 or the chair of the BSC-Norman users committee, Prof. Ann West at (405) 325-1529.
Fees effective July 1, 2025.
| Crystallization Lab Fees | Cost per tray* |
|---|---|
| Standard screen in 96-well tray - single drop | $ 40 |
| Standard screen in 96-well tray - two drops | $ 45 |
| Optimization screens - 1 mL each condition | Cost per tray* |
|---|---|
| 24 conditions in 24-well tray | $ 25 |
| 96 conditions in 96-well block | $ 50 |
*The charges for the crystallization lab cover the cost of materials.
Additive screens may incur a slightly higher cost.
| X-Ray Lab Fees | Crystal Screening | Data Collection |
|---|---|---|
| Pilatus | $ 20 / hr | $ 15 / hr |
| Supplies/Instruments | OU/OUHSC | External Non-Profit# | Commercial# |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cryo grids | Cost dependent on original grid cost (~$10 each), inquire with core director | Cost dependent on original grid cost , inquire with core director | Cost dependent on original grid cost , inquire with core director |
| PELCO easiGlow Discharger | $ 7 / user session $ 52 / user session | $ 17 / user session unassisted | $ 26 / user session unassisted |
Leica GP2 or Vitrobot | $ 30 / user session $ 75 / user session | $ 72 / user session unassisted | $ 112 / user session unassisted |
#External users are defined as non-OU/OUHC affiliated groups. For External Non-Profit Users and Commercial Users a 55% overhead charge will be applied in addition to all fees posted above/on this page.
Terms are net due in 30 days. Unless other prior arrangements are made, lab charges will be accumulated to the end of the current month for preparation of invoices.
At this time credit/debit cards are not accepted for payment.
Please contact the facility manager, Dr. Len Thomas, via email at lmthomas@ou.edu if you have any questions about the fees.
The regular hours of the BSC-Norman are 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Currently, all equipment use is on a first-come, first-served basis. Scheduling for use of equipment can be done by contacting the facility director, Dr. Len Thomas, via email at lmthomas@ou.edu or via phone at (405) 325-1126.
For new users, introductory training sessions are required for each facility instrument. The training fee is $40/hour. The length of these sessions will depend on the instrument. Additional training sessions may be required. Once a user has been authorized by the director, equipment may be operated independently. All users should be current on their laboratory safety and hazard communication trainings through onpoint.ou.edu along with Ionizing Radiation Safety training through the OU Radiation Safety Office.
External usage of the BSC-Norman is restricted to academic and non-academic projects requiring Xray crystallography or cryoEM sample preparation services. Fees for external usage will be based on all costs incurred by the BSC-Norman in the operation of the facility, including: direct usage and sample preparation, maintenance costs, operator salary, fringe benefits, administrative costs, and indirect cost. Please contact the facility director, Dr. Len Thomas, via email at lmthomas@ou.edu or via phone at (405) 325-1126 for questions about external usage and rates.
Logbooks are provided for each piece of equipment in the BSC-Norman. Each time a piece of equipment is utilized, an entry must be placed in the logbook. Entries will vary but will include the following: name of the user and user’s PI (if different from user), nature of use, date, time (starting and finishing) of use.
LN2 use in the BSC-Norman facility is routine, but care should be taken. Eye protection along with appropriate hand, leg, and foot protection must be worn when transferring LN2; cryo gloves are available. Note that LN2 can boil explosively and displace room air/oxygen. Contact with skin can cause burns. Only store and transfer LN2 or other cryogens in approved designated containers and use only with approval.
Due to the presence of an X-ray source, users of the facility are required to take annual training in radiation safety. Please contact the facility director for training schedule. You have the right to contact University of Oklahoma and State of Oklahoma radiation safety officials anytime.
Data may be stored for 90 days, after which it is likely to be overwritten by new data. Once data are collected, you should transfer the data to your systems/choice of data storage. You are responsible for the long-term archiving of data. Please talk to the facility director about data storage if needed.
Users are requested to acknowledge the BSC as applicable (see example acknowledgments below):
How to acknowledge the BSC-Norman:
"The BSC-Norman (RRID:SCR_028074) is supported in part by Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (Awards P20GM103640 and P30GM145423), the National Science Foundation (Award 0922269), and the University of Oklahoma Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry."
How to acknowledge cryo-EM work done in the BSC:
"Cryo-EM grid preparation was carried out at the Biomolecular Structure Core, University of Oklahoma-Norman (RRID:SCR_028074), with support from an Institutional Development Award from the National Institutes of Health (P30GM145423). Microscopy data collection using the Tundra TEM was supported by the Samual Roberts Noble Microscopy Laboratory (RRID:SCR_022929), the OU Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships, and NIH award P30GM145423."
