MPI-CBG LMF mission

WARNING - these are just Dans current thoughs and are not official policy... The text here is very likely to be changed significantly in the near future, as a result of the current process following the LMF advisory board meeting Feb 2010

also see MPI-CBG LMF short strategy points

What is a Facility?

From the MPI-CBG Services and Facilities mission statement

1. Many of the cutting edge technologies need well-trained and dedicated staff in order to extract the maximum potential from the technology.
2. A service is defined as a unit that performs service jobs, i.e. applies a technology on behalf of a research group or researcher and returns the analysed results to the researcher.
3. A facility is defined as a repository of knowledge, expertise, reagents and tools that provides the functionality but does not perform the actual work.

So by extension:

• A facility should have open, non preferential, access for all in house (or even on campus?)
• The aim of a facility should be to enable higher quality and increased output of useful science in house (or even on campus?) than if it did not exist.

What is the MPI-CBG LMF portfolio of responsibilities?

MPI-CBG LMF is a Facility, rather than a service - not only in name, but also in practice

But what does that mean in practically? (Should?) MPI-CBG LMF (should?) provide the following: From LMF mission statement:

• ...is to provide access to state-of-the-art light microscopy techniques and instruments along with vision toward future trends.
• ...assist through consultation, training and project collaborations.

Further, these two statements imply the following requirements/responsibilities:

• All research groups (and individuals) should get a fair bite at the resources offered by the facility.

This means

1. There should be enough equipment to go around (so people get stuff done soon enough)
2. There needs to be enough expert staff at hand for maintenance of, and training and assistance on, that equipment in a timely manner (= fast enough to not hold up research)

• All research groups should have a say in how the facility uses its allocated resources, eg what areas to emphasize: equipment, teaching/assistance, and also on how it executes its responsibilities (That's via the LMF steering committee!)
• The facility should act as a resource/repository for expertise, experience, know how etc, which should be retained in a (re)usable open manner, eg. Wiki (This is the retained knowledge of the LMF staff members).

As the facility has grown over the years, it has become clear that it can't keep growing indefinitely. The aim of the LMF is NOT care of every microscope in house, or provision of all the basics teaching and training to the local campus. Rather the LMF mission is to concentrate on cutting edge, state of the art, and emerging technologies in biological imaging using light.

What is the MPI-CBG LMF modus operandi?

...so how can the facility meet the above responsibilities?

1. Deposit and maintain know how and other useful information in an open Wiki visible to all (...yes, it's this Wiki)
2. Teaching small groups on intensive basic and advanced courses is a resource efficient way to increase scientific/technical quality and output of experimental imaging work. All willing predocs, post docs, technicians, RGLs and directors are targets for basic and advanced training in microscopy and digital imaging.
3. Internal training spreads knowledge and skills through the team - so we increase our bus/truck number to >1. Users are not stuck if one of the team is not available.
4. User project info is shared in emails to the whole team: lmf@mpi-cbg and with the user. Again, to increase the bus number.
5. The team makes time to receive training - internal and external
6. The team makes time to investigate new technologies and demo them in house... before letting them loose on users (avoid wasting their time with premature setups)
7. The team takes the effort to develop strong (even collabourative) relationships with hardware (and software) suppliers. \
8. The team works to develop strong ties and information sharing with the other facilities on campus (... yes this Wiki, and a monthly imaging facility network meeting)
9. The team keep and eye out for good people who share our values and mission and tries to help get them placed in useful facility roles on campus.