Updates for the User Community

inputs from the CFN User Office

June 26, 2024

Grace Webster

Grace Webster

Greetings from the User Office! Summer is finally here! We welcome our interns and visiting faculty who will be spending the next couple of months at CFN.    

User proposal submission  

  • The next proposal deadline is September 30, 2024. Proposals and additional time requests submitted during this call will be considered for the January-April 2025 Cycle. We will be sending reminders sometime during late August. 
  • Users who already have an active project must submit an additional time request for access to the CFN. 
  • For General User and Rapid Access projects that are expiring after the September-December 2024 cycle, PIs must submit a new General User Proposal during for work to continue. 

Resource/instrument update

  1. BioTek Cytation 5 Imaging Microplate Multimode Reader: The BioTek Cytation 5 Imaging Multimode Reader combines automated digital widefield microscopy with conventional multimode microplate reading. The instrument possesses bright-field (4X, 20X, 60X), fluorescence (4X, 20X, 60X), and phase-contrast (20X) imaging alongside UV/Vis spectroscopy and fluorescence measurements. The system is capable of laser autofocus to ensure consistent sample focus, as well as z-stack imaging. The instrument has a red-shifted PMT capable of up to 900 nm measurements, capable of 1 nm increments. 
  2. Automated experimental workbench driven by Tecan Fluent 1080: The automated liquid handling is an interconnected cluster of robotic instrumentation, driven by a customized Tecan Fluent 1080, with the goal of automated sample synthesis and characterization. The workbench has three robotic arms, specifically an 8 channel Air Flexible Channel Arm for disposable tip handling, an 8 channel Liquid Flexible Channel Arm with fixed tips for up to 5 mL liquid handling (capable of positive pressure), and a robotic gripper arm with three finger options (eccentric, center, and tube grippers).  

Safety approval forms

We continue to see a large number of user projects without a valid SAF, which is causing a delay or cancellation of experiments. All user projects must have an approved Safety Approval Form. SAFs must be submitted through the CFN Proposal Portal and approved two weeks prior to the start of an experiment, whether the work is onsite or remote.   

User survey

Remember to complete the 2024 User Satisfaction Survey. Your feedback is very important to us. We rely on your input to improve our performance and processes. 

Reminders for onsite or remote users

Before starting your experiment at CFN, users must complete the following steps: 

  • Registration: Every experimenter listed on the proposal, participating onsite or remotely, must have a valid BNL appointment. To obtain or renew a guest appointment, go to https://guest.bnl.gov. Users who mail in or
  • Submit a Safety Approval Form at https://cpp.bnl.gov.  
  • Training: All experimenters must complete online training prior to a scheduled experiment. For a list of training requirements, please go to https://training.bnl.gov.  
  • CFN will continue to support user projects remotely by assisting with data analysis and other activities that can be done away from the lab. For more information, contact the User Office at cfnuser@bnl.gov or at 631-344-NANO (6266). 

Publications and awards

  • Send us high-resolution copies of publication covers that feature your papers or articles so that we can display them at the CFN. 
  • Keep us informed of your awards, honors, and publications. Publicizing your discoveries and professional achievements helps us raise the profile of the CFN, attract top scientists from around the world, and secure ongoing funding. 
  • The following acknowledgement must be used in publications when referencing work performed in whole or in part at the CFN: “This research used resources of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), which is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, at Brookhaven National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-SC0012704.”  

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CFN User Office or any of the CFN staff. We are here to help and ensure you are safe when conducting your work. 

On behalf of the entire CFN family, we thank you for your continued support of and engagement with the CFN. We hope you all have a great summer! 

— Grace Webster 
User Program Administrator and Outreach Coordinator 

2024-21977  |  INT/EXT  |  Newsroom