Quick Start Guide to BioTrain

This guide is designed to give you some of the information you will need to have a successful and smooth start to the Summer 2010 BioTrain program. In no way is this guide meant to cover all possible questions you may have or provide specific information for each internship position. It can be used, however as a starting point to make sure you are prepared for the first day.

General Schedule for Summer 2010

June 7

Biotech Bootcamp begins (please arrive promptly at 8:00 am)

June 7-14

Biotech Bootcamp (8am–5pm daily not including the weekend)

June 14 (PM)

Report to laboratory supervisor

June 14-July 26

Professional development seminars (Mondays 12 – 1 pm)

July 30

Poster Presentation

July 30

BioTrain Summer 2010 ends

Appropriate Dress

HudsonAlpha is a professional business environment. As such, appropriate dress is expected. Generally, dress at HudsonAlpha is business casual (khaki pants, slacks, collared shirt, etc.). During Biotech Bootcamp, a more specific dress code will be enforced which will include the following:

 

Closed toe shoes	No baggy clothing
Long pants	Long hair tied back
No hanging/dangling jewelry	No hats

 

Since you will be in the laboratory most of the time during Biotech Bootcamp, please come appropriately dressed on June 7. Additional dress restrictions may exist for individual laboratories. Please check with your laboratory supervisor on June 14 for details.

Good Behavior Practices

Cell phone usage should be limited to breaks or during lunch. Usage of cell phones during Biotech Bootcamp outside of breaks or lunch is strictly prohibited and may result in the termination of the internship. If an emergency arises and someone needs to contact you, please make sure they contact Dedra Herod in educational outreach. Her contact information is provided below in important contacts. She will be able to contact you should an emergency arise. Please be respectful of those around you with regards to the use of these devices.

You are expected to be on time for all appointments, seminars, work days, etc. The rule of thumb is that ‘early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.’ Please make sure you are here when expected for all appointments.

Respect is necessary in any workplace. You are expected to treat all of your co-workers with the utmost respect at all times. Additionally, it is expected that you will interact with other BioTrain interns regardless of their experience or educational level respectfully. Insubordination and disrespect of any kind will not be tolerated.

It is the institute’s policy to provide a workplace that is free from the effects of drug and alcohol abuse. To promote this policy, employees are required to report to work in appropriate mental and physical condition to perform their jobs in a satisfactory manner. While on the institute premises and while conducting business-related activities off the institute premises, no employee may use, possess, distribute, sell, be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, or report for work with alcohol or illegal drugs or unauthorized controlled substances in their system. Approved institute events, activities, and social functions are exempt from the proscription against alcohol use.

The legal use of prescribed drugs is permitted on the job only if it does not impair the employee’s ability to perform the essential functions of the job effectively and in a safe manner that does not endanger other individuals in the workplace.

The institute is committed to the health and safety of its employees, tenants, contractors, and guests. Effective Jan. 1, 2009, the institute became a "Tobacco-Free" campus (including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, or other tobacco products). Use of any tobacco products on institute property is prohibited. This includes all buildings, campus grounds, parking areas and roads.

Eating at HudsonAlpha

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has an onsite bistro café that serves both breakfast and lunch. It is open 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. daily. The bistro offers a variety of breakfast foods including oatmeal, eggs, muffins and fruit. During the lunch hours, the bistro serves a hot lunch meal cooked fresh each day as well as daily specials, a variety of sandwiches, hamburgers and a salad bar. Breakfast prices range from $2-5 and lunch typically ranges from $5-8.

You are also welcome to bring in your own lunch. There are a number of refrigerators available at the institute both in the associate company and educational outreach areas. Typically, you will have an hour for lunch unless other rules apply for individual associate company positions. There are a number of restaurants in the area that also deliver or are close enough to drive to during the lunch hour. Please make sure to check with your laboratory supervisor regarding lunch policies.

What to Bring

Please make sure you bring with you a valid passport or your diver’s license and a copy of your social security card. Additionally, you will need to bring a voided check or deposit slip from a checking or savings account. HudsonAlpha pays via direct deposit therefore a voided check or deposit slip is necessary to obtain the proper routing numbers.

As well, please bring with you the signed laboratory safety contract, a completed emergency contact form, and the signed medical/accommodation notification statement. These items are required on the morning of June 7, 2010 as you will not be able to enter the laboratory for Biotech Bootcamp without them completed.

Scheduling

There are a few scheduling items of which you should be aware. Individual work schedules will be determined with your laboratory manager. BioTrain will not dictate individual work schedules for the associate company or research laboratory positions. Discussions of availability, sick leave, and work times are solely at the discretion of the laboratory manager. Furthermore, it is expected that you participate in BioTrain for the full 8 weeks, June 7 – July 30. Vacations during this time should not be scheduled.

BioTrain requires you to attend and participate in a weekly professional development seminar that will be held each Monday June 14 – July 26 from 12-1 p.m. Lunch will be provided during these seminars. The professional development seminars are designed to provide interns with some basics in communication skills, networking and managing expectations necessary to succeed in the scientific community.

July 30, 2010, is also an important date in BioTrain as it is the last day of the internship program. On that day, all BioTrain interns will be presenting a poster of their work at HudsonAlpha as a capstone project. We will work with each of you during Biotech Bootcamp and throughout your internship to craft your poster so that it is ready to present on July 30.

HudsonAlpha recognizes the July 4th holiday on Monday, July 5. This is a HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology holiday during which those interns in educational outreach and HudsonAlpha researcher labs will not report for work. Associate company positions may have a different schedule around July 4th. BioTrain interns should discuss the July 4th holiday with their laboratory supervisor to ensure correct holiday leave if appropriate.

Important Contacts

Dedra Herod		HudsonAlpha Front Desk
p: 256.327.0458		p: 253.327.0400
c: 256.975.7362
email: dherod@hudsonalpha.org
Dr. Adam Hott		Dr. Bob Zahorchak
p: 256.327.0574		p: 256.327.0464
email: ahott@hudsonalpha.org		email: bzahorchak@hudsonalpha.org