User Guidelines

The iPSCore is a research platform with the mission to support basic and translational research by facilitating all aspects of iPSC technology including the derivation, differentiation and distribution of human iPSC lines. The facility will provide scientists with state-of-the-art protocols and techniques for proper handling and manipulation of human pluripotent stem cells.

All users at the iPSCore have to be affiliated with the University of Zurich or another academic institution and require individual approval by the iPSCore administration. Commercial and other non-academic users are admitted upon special request and approval by the iPSCore. While working at the iPSCore or with data generated at the iPSCore, the official regulations concerning rules of conduct, use of technologies, generation and use of data and research results that have been established and communicated to their students and staff by UZH remain fully valid. External users comply with these regulations when working at the iPSCore.

Each iPSCore project must be registered and have a designated principal investigator (PI). The PI, the primary iPSCore user, is responsible for the content, realization and financing of the project. A primary iPSCore user can authorize further researchers, the associate iPSCore users. All users must register in order to have access to the iPSCore Facility.

The following information for registration is needed:

• Name and address
• Institutional affiliation
• If UZH: personnel number or matriculation number
• Project title and project description
• If third party funded project: name of principal investigator(s) and responsible project leader, name of the funding institution and project number
• Billing address with a named person

Depending on the scope of the project, some applications may also have to be approved by the head of the facility and the steering committee. If so, applicants will be invited to hand in a detailed project outline for further validation.

The iPSCore steering committee sets research excellence and feasibility criteria for assessing the suitability of projects. On occasion, iPSCore may ask for external expert advice when evaluating a project's suitability/feasibility.

The head of the facility, Dr. Melanie Generali, is responsible for assessment and decision of the approval and rejection of projects in accordance with the criteria set by the steering committee.

All manuscripts and grants presenting work supported by this core facility should include the following acknowledgement: "This work was supported by the iPSCore at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IREM), University of Zurich."

Scientific contributions of iPSCore staff during the conceptual phase of the project, the generation of experimental data, or data evaluation and interpretation shall be acknowledged by including the iPSCore staff in the authorship of resulting publications and reports.

In order to minimize safety risks, iPSCore staff and users have to comply to certain rules covering different safety aspects. Every person working in the iPSCore has to take care of having read and understood biosafety rules and has to follow them. Everybody breaking one or more of these rules knowingly or un- knowingly is held responsible for his/her actions.

The user fees depend on the planned project. After a customer meeting, iPSCore staff provides a quote containing a list of services and costs. Fees consists of personnel costs and consumables, including medium, pipettes, wasting costs, instrument maintenance. Both charge positions will be calculated case by case depending on the requirements.

Commercial and other non-academic users pay full costs, which include a market-based profit margin.

If you have any questions about these regulations or future developments at iPSCore, please contact Dr. Melanie Generali, Head of iPSCore Facility: ipscore@irem.uzh.ch