Lin New Group Member Checklist and Information Guide

  1. Everyone is required by Environmental Health and Safety to have Laboratory Safety Training. before being allowed to work in the laboratory. This can be done here: Click “Determine What Training You Need” to find out the required trainings.

Note: You should only register as a laboratory worker (not a radiation worker). If you are doing x-ray crystallography, do x-ray safety and awareness training. If you are in the nanomedicine group, please do the biological safety cabinets training.

The fire safety and evacuation training must be done annually. The chemical hygiene plan must be done every three years.If you have any question about training, please contact Ginger Schaedtler (Physical Sciences Division safety administrator) at

  1. Provide CNetID and email to Chris Poon so he can access your safety training information on CATTS. An hardcopy copy of both the University Laboratory Safety Manual and the Group Laboratory Safety Plan are available at Chris Poon’s desk.
  1. To initiate a request for a key to our laboratory, please email Jess Valle (GCIS building manager) at . Please provide him with your ISO number, Chicago ID, and Student ID located on the back of your student ID.
  1. The laboratory phone number is 773-702-3605. Please give Chris Poon your cell phone number so that it can be added to the laboratory directory. It is important that we have an emergency contact number for you.
  1. Group Inventory:

The group chemical inventory can be accessed through The lab username is wenbinlinlab and the password is WenbinLin. Capitalization is important! Check to make sure we have a chemical before ordering anything!

  1. General Purchasing Information:

If you need to order a chemical, talk to either Chunbai He(Nanomedicine) or Nathan Thacker (Catalysis). They complete all ordering for the lab. You need to determine which company sells the chemical and the price. It is important that you look around for the best price before having either Chunbai or Nathan order the chemical.

There is a Fisher Scientific chemical storeroom located in the physical science department. It is located on the west wing of GCIS ground floor. The storeroom accepts university grant numbers for payment. You will be provided with a grant number based on the project that you are working on. However, only Chunbai and Nathan has buying power.

  1. General Lab Safety

From the Fisher stockroom, you should pick out a pair of safety glasses that you would actually wear for laboratory use.

The Fisher storeroom has lab coats. You should plan on going over with Chris Poon to find the location of the storeroom and also to acquire a lab coat if necessary.

Laboratory notebooks are available on the bookshelves in E547C.

Sandals or opened toed shoes are not allowed in the laboratory. Lab coats, safety glasses, and gloves are required at all times when doing chemistry in the laboratory.

  1. Searle Labs Access

The doors to Searle are accessible by your student card after hours. The Chemistry department may not grant you access to Searle Labortory initially so it might be necessary to submit a request for access Mike Reedy at .

Lin Group

University of Chicago

Conduct of Operation

  • All group members will abide by the University of Chicago and Lin Laboratory Safety and Ethical Rules. If there is anything in this document that you do not understand, ask questions! Particularly when it comes to safety, if you don’t know the answer, ask questions! Your well being, as well as your group members’ well-being, depends on your attention to safety!
  • Keep your contact information up to date. Let Stephanie know if your email/phone number changes.
  • There will be mutual respect for everyone and their research projects.
  • Every group member will assume joint responsibility for the operation of the Lin research operations.
  • If you use the remainder of a consumable, or preferably when it is nearly depleted, make sure that it gets replaced.
  • If you break something, make sure that it gets repaired or replaced.
  • Keep your workspace orderly.
  • After using community tools such as microscopes, balances, instruments, etc., leave the work area clean and orderly.
  • Do not dominate the use of community tools needed by others; give consideration to the needs of others who might need a particular instrument.
  • Never “borrow” an item from someone else’s workspace without first receiving permission.
  • If you have equipment, components, or chemicals that you no longer need, return them to group central storage space.
  • If you don’t know what to do, ask someone who can help such as a group staff member, postdoc, or senior student
  • Remember that most problems can be solved by communication!
  • Chemicals
  • If you order a chemical
  • Let Nathan or Chunbai know so that it can be added to the group chemical inventory
  • Look up the MSDS before using a new chemical
  • Store chemical in laboratory appropriately
  • Samples and solutions
  • Label with contents, name, and date per UChicago safety guidelines
  • Chemical waste
  • Dispose of per UChicago safety guidelines
  • List FULL chemical name (not abbreviations or formulas) on waste label
  • If you do not know how to dispose of something, ask another student!
  • If a waste bottle is full, notify Stephanie Kramer
  • Dissemination of Ramsey group information or know-how
  • No unpublished information relating to group research, either on going or proposed, is to be disseminated outside the Lin group without approval.
  • All manuscripts, proceedings, and abstracts must be approved by Wenbin Lin before submission. Such documents are to be submitted to him one week in advance of due date.
  • Lead authors must discuss authorship with Wenbin Lin before adding an authorship list to manuscript drafts.
  • There may be occasions when confidential information is received from others within collaborative or industrially funded projects. Such information will be treated in the same manner as Lin group information.