Data Storage
Data storage is the responsibility of individual users. In spite of the WUCCI’s best intentions, resource and manpower limitations impede our ability to keep or maintain any datasets which are not a part of a collaborative project. As such, we have instituted the following policies for the specified imaging modalities:
Optical Microscopy
Data on microscope acquisition computers
All 24 optical microscope acquisition platforms will have data older than 180 days be automatically removed each month. Lightsheet datasets, will be removed from offline analysis workstations 60 days following acquisition. Data stored on the operating system drives will be deleted without notice. This includes anything on the Desktop, Downloads, or Documents folders. We recommend that users use WUSTL Box for general dataset storage and their lab’s RIS storage or /Scratch directory within the WUCCI’s RIS Active storage allocation for data transfer of large datasets. Please note that data older than 30 days will be removed from /Scratch without notice (/Scratch is only for data transfer and not data storage). Going forward, no use of portable storage drives (e.g. External Hard Drives) will be allowed on acquisition PCs. If users need help for data transfer, please approach one of the optical microscopy team members.
Light Data on Workstations
Users of the WUCCI workstations are not to save any data on the operating system drives. This includes the Desktop, Downloads, or Documents folders. Any data left on the C drives, will be deleted without notice. Data on the storage drives (D or N) will be removed automatically at the beginning of each month.
Electron and X-ray Microscopy
TEM Data
The WUCCI is not responsible for storing EM data. The JEOL acquisition computer hard drive will be cleared as needed. We recommend that users take all data during their imaging time via Box. Do not plug in external hard drives or USB devices. Any data stored on the C Drive will be deleted without notice.
SEM and X-ray Data
All large datasets, including large area scans, FIB-SEM nanotomography, and X-ray datasets will be stored on WUCCI-RIS active storage for up to two month following collection. Following this period, datasets will be archived as tar.gz on the WUCCI-RIS Archive storage. Files will be purged 3 years following acquisition.
Cryo-Electron Microscopy
Raw cryo-EM data will be stored on WUCCI-RIS Active storage for a minimum of two months. Raw cryo-EM data will be compressed, tarred, and moved to WUCCI-RIS Archive as tar.gz files two months after collection. The tar.gz files of raw data will be kept for three years from the date collected. Three years after the collection date, the tar.gz files will be deleted from WUCCI-RIS Archive and will no longer be available. CryoSPARC Live data processed during data collection will be stored on WUCCI-RIS Active for two months from the date collected. The CryoSPARC Live project and Live session will be deleted two months after collection and will no longer be available.
Sample Storage
Lightsheet Sample
Lightsheet samples will be kept for 12 months following the date they are imaged. Users can retrieve their samples at any point during this time period. Following 12 months, unclaimed samples will be discarded.
EM Wet Samples and X-Ray Microscopy Samples
Fixed unprocessed EM samples will be kept at 4 degrees for a period of 6 months following sample drop-off. Imaged TEM samples will be kept for a period of 2 years and imaged SEM samples will be kept for a period of 1 year following imaging. Please contact a staff member to schedule sample pickup, if you would like to store it yourself.
Imaged X-ray samples will be kept at 4 degrees for a period of 6 months following imaging. During this time, users are welcome to retrieve their samples. Samples older than 6 months will be discarded.
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Samples
Samples frozen at the WUCCI will be kept in WUCCI liquid nitrogen storage dewars for three years from the date frozen. Samples frozen outside of WUCCI but imaged at WUCCI will be kept in WUCCI liquid nitrogen storage dewars for three years from the date imaged. All grids will be properly disposed of after the period described above has expired.