Rachel Meyer research UCSC

The Meyer Lab and CBB Molecular Analytical Lab

Delivery Address: UCSC Coastal Biology Building, 130 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

The UCSC Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department has some fantastic shared resources for molecular ecology, evolution, and organismal biology research. We are equipped to work with DNA, RNA, proteins, isotopes, and biochemicals. There are two spaces. The Meyer Lab is downstairs in room 143. The CBB Molecular Analytical Lab is upstairs in room 232. Archival freezer storage associated with both labs is in other rooms such as 230. This page will introduce you to the equipment we have, provide a planning guide for using these labs, and will let you book equipment trainings, project consultations and technical help sessions with Rachel.

Want to use the lab or get advice on your project?

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Please budget 30 minutes for a consultation with Rachel about research methods. Please budget 30 minutes for each piece of equipment for which you are requesting training. Please budget two full hours for DNA extraction, PCR, or shotgun library preparation training. Consultation is recommended prior to these training sessions.

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The CBB Molecular Analytical Labs are both accessible by keycard. We welcome visitors from outside of UCSC who have UCSC collaborators. For keycard access access, please submit a request with PBSci. All people using the lab spaces should email evidence of their completion of the online Lab Safety and Fundamentals module, and should schedule a lab safety orientation with Rachel. You may use the form on the left to request an orientation.

In addition to these labs, the UCSC Paleogenomics Lab has ancient DNA and historical DNA facilities available for training and use subject to project approval. Please see the Paleogenomics Lab website for details and contact information.

We do not currently have a recharge method set up, and most lab supplies were purchased by different faculty in the department for their own research. If you need certain supplies, please ask before using them.

If you would like to use the supplies in the lab, please keep track of the number of tip boxes, the volume of reagents, and number of tubes and plates used. We will work with you to estimate the cost of these, and to figure out an equivalent purchase your lab can make to support future availability of such common-use supplies (e.g. buying boxes of gloves, more tips, or SYBR green).

Please leave the workspaces as clean or cleaner than you found them. When starting or ending to work in either lab, wipe the bench tops with 10% bleach, followed by 70% ethanol, and optional DNA away (provided).

These labs are the new UCSC headquarters for the CALeDNA program, a citizen science program what uses environmental DNA from soil, sediment, and water, to inventory biodiversity. As we regularly process samples, trainings will frequently use CALeDNA samples for demonstration. To learn more about this program, visit www.ucedna.com.

The Downstairs lab (‘Meyer Lab’), room 143, is a pre-PCR space that means no PCR products shall be opened in the space. This is a room where you can organize and dissect your samples, try different extraction methods, freeze dry samples, make buffers, set up PCR, and make DNA libraries (first steps). We have the following available:

Proflex 3x32 well thermocycler
pH meter, hot/stir plate, sink, glass jars, scale
Labconco 4.5L lyophilizer with glassware
Centrifuges with temperature control, for plates or tubes
Tube rotator (various tube sizes ok)
Dry thermal bath for 2mL tubes
UV Crosslinker
Refrigerator and Freezer for storing reagents and samples (short term, flammable OK)
PCR Hood with HEPA filter
Qiagen PowerLyzer Homogenizer (24 samples)
Two workstations with vortexers, minifuges, pipettemen
Qubit and 0.5 mL tubes
Glass bead tool sterilizer and reusable steel spatulas
Speedvac
Room temperature shelf storage (limited)

In the upstairs CBB Molecular Analytical Lab, room 232, this is a post-PCR space, where we have equipment to quantify and analyze PCR products such as the latter steps of DNA libraries, and have capacity for quantitative PCR. We also have equipment that would not be for analyses sensitive to potential PCR contamination, such as a scintillator for analyzing sample isotopes. We have the following available:

BIORAD 96-well quantitative thermocycler
BIORAD 96-well regular thermocycler
Pippin Prep for DNA size selection
Bioanalyzer for quantification and size distribution of DNA or RNA
Varioskan Lux plate reader, with sterile disposable trays and 96-well black plates.
iBright 750 gel imaging system
Small and large gel rigs and various sized combs, GeneRuler 100bp ladder, loading dye, SYBR Green gel stain, pre-made 1% TAE buffer for running gels, agarose, scale, microwave
Centrifuges for plates
Speedvac
Sample and reagent refrigerated storage (non-flammable, short term)
Agilent Sonicator and sonication tubes
LabLogic 300SL Liquid Scintillation Counter, with cocktail, vials not included
Two workstations with vortexers, microcentrifuges, pipettemen