The Glassware Washing facility provides centralized services for cleaning and sterilizing laboratory glassware and media, and lab coat laundering for UW Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) members. The facility works with individual laboratories to accommodate specialized needs.
Supervisor
Dawn Church
(608) 263-4334
Facility Manager
Rob Mueller-Owens
(608) 263-5352
Services & Prices
The facility services UWCCC researcher at the west end of campus within the Clinical Sciences Center (CSC) and the Wisconsin Institutes for Medical Research (WIMR). Both locations are “closed facilities” with operations performed only by facility specialists 8 hours per day, Monday through Friday. Materials to be processed are picked up at laboratories and returned when finished, usually the following workday.
Catalog of Services
- High Temperature glassware washing and acid cleaning
- Steam sterilization (autoclave)
- Dry Sterilization: bake at 200-200+C for 6 hours
- RNAse deactivation via dry sterilization
- Acid cleaning and dry sterilization of glass pipettes
- Pipette tip sterilization
- Desiccant Reactivation via baking at 220C for 6-18 hours
- Washing and Sterilization of incubator shelves
- Sourcing and Autoclaving ultrapure water at 18.2 Megaohms
Glassware
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Wash | $20.00/load* |
| Autoclave | $20.00/load* |
| Bake (constant temp. oven) | $20.00/load* |
Pipettes
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Glass Pipettes | $20.00/can |
| Pasteur Pipettes | $20.00/can |
| Pipette Tips | $20.00/load* |
Getting Started
- Labs should email Rob to set up a consultation and get set up with the Glass Washing services and incorporated into the rounds.
- Glass Washing and Sterilization
- As labs use equipment, they empty and rinse glassware and place them on the lower shelves of the wire rack that most labs have in the LER.
- Once a lab decides that it is time to have equipment washed and sterilized, they email Rob. In that email, they request a pick-up and include the PI and location (room #). Rob will pick up, wash, sterilize, and return the equipment, usually within 24 hours.
- Lab Coat Laundering
-
- When a UWCCC member lab or an individual lab needs lab coats laundered, they place them in the laundry bag outside of 4112 in WIMR I or outside of K4/566.
- Once the coats are in the bag, please fill out the form hanging above the laundry bag. It asks for the date, name, lab/PI, room number, and the number of lab coats placed in the bag.
- Lab coats are picked up and returned on Mondays and Thursdays.
Washing and Cleaning Protocols
- Washing
- We do expect labs to rinse glassware before submitting to glass-wash services.
- This washer first uses a detergent in a high temperature wash. Then it uses an acid rinse to effectively neutralize alkaline detergent residue, remove mineral deposits and protein residues, and prevent contamination.
- Finally, the washers go through a high temp drying cycle. This process takes about 90 minutes in total.
- Sterilization
- Autoclaves are used to sterilize any glass that includes a screw-on lid. Using high temperatures, steam, and high pressure, is effective in killing microorganisms and spores.
- Our Sterilization Oven is used for open glass vessels such as beakers, cylinders, and pipettes. Glass gets baked at 200C for six hours. This sterilization process is also used to deactivate glass that may contain RNAse. (Fact-check this with a scientist)
- The Sterilization Oven is also used to recharge desiccant. We bake it at 220C for 6-18 hours.
Testimonials
Using the glass/autoclave service available through the UWCCC has been a huge time-saver and streamlined my lab’s wet bench work. Particularly since our lab in CSC does not have a full-size autoclave or any industrial dishwasher available for use, the availability of door-to-door service provided by knowledgeable staff (Rob Mueller-Owens) greatly improves lab life and minimizes errors that might otherwise arise by having less experienced personnel perform this work. In addition to time saved, our cost savings from being able to autoclave bulk-packed tips in large batches more than makes up for the service cost. Rob is prompt, experienced, and easy to work with. – Claire O’Leary
The glass wash service is a huge time saver for our lab! It eliminated a need for a glass washing station in our workspace and waiting for time in the shared autoclaves to sterilize the glassware. Glassware is picked up right from your lab and returned fast, sterilized and ready to go! – Emily Kaufman
Our lab has been using glass wash service for years, and will continue to use it. The service is very good and helpful, it only takes a day or so to get our clean dishes back after sending a request. – Bing Yang
We really appreciate the convenience of having our glassware handled by Rob in the Glassware Washing and Sterilization facility. We put our used glassware on a rack outside the lab, and simply email Rob when we’re ready for him to pick it up. He brings it back clean, dry, and sterile, within 1-2 days. We know it is done well, and we don’t have to train staff to operate extra equipment or handle more chemicals. Rob is also friendly to work with and communicates well about timelines to meet our needs. – Kathryn Fox, Flow Lab Technical Manager
The McNeel lab has been using the UWCCC glasswashing facility for 20 years. The service has been dependable and consistent which is important for reproducibility in scientific research. Rob, the facility manager, is easy to communicate with and he is extremely conscientious. The glasswashing service is fast with a usual turnaround time of 24-48 hours. – Laura Johnson, McNeel Lab Manager
Any published research which received funding from the UWCCC Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG), including the use of UWCCC Shared Resources to generate or analyze data or conduct clinical trials, must reference the UWCCC. See Acknowledging UWCCC in Publications, Posters and Presentations.