| Maastricht University

Central Culture Faciltities

The Ultra Centrifuge Lab (UCL) is a central research facility that supports researchers in scientific studies requiring high-speed or ultracentrifugation. The lab is located at Universiteitssingel 50, room G3.247C, and is equipped with several ultracentrifuges suitable for applications such as the separation and purification of biomolecules, including DNA, RNA, proteins, and vesicles.

Ice is also available in this space for use in laboratories.

Use is restricted to staff who have received training from the facility manager.

Access to the registration system and an introduction to this facility can be arranged via: l.schurger@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Available Rotors

The available rotors in the UCL are listed in the table below. Use the online registration system, AgendaLabs FHML, to reserve a rotor and the corresponding centrifuge.

Rotor Type	Capacity (ml)	angle	max g	Compatible Centrifuges
45 Ti	6x94	fixed	235.000	Ultra 1/2
70 Ti	8x39	fixed	450.000	Ultra 1/2
70.1Ti	12x14	fixed	450.000	Ultra 1/2
90 Ti	8x14	fixed	694.000	Ultra 1/2
JA-20	8 x 50	fixed	48.400	High 1/2/3
JA-21	18x10	fixed	50.400	High 1/2/3
JA-25.15	24x15	fixed	74.200	High 1/2/3
JA-25.50	8x50	fixed	75.600	High 1/2/3
JA-25.50	8x50	fixed	75.600	High 1/2/3
JLA-8.1	6x1000	fixed	15.970	High 1/2/3
JLA-16.250	6x250	fixed	38.400	High 1/2/3
MLA-150	6x4	fixed	1.003.000	Ultra 3 Small
TLA-110	8x5.1	fixed	657.000	Ultra 3 Small
SW 32 Ti	6x38	swing	175.000	Ultra 1/2
SW 41 Ti	6x13	swing	288.000	Ultra 1/2
SW 41 Ti	6x13	swing	288.000	Ultra 1/2

The Central Glass Sterilisation Department (CGSA) is responsible for the cleaning and sterilisation of glassware and other laboratory supplies. The CGSA is located at Universiteitssingel 50, room G4.213. Glassware from over 70 laboratories is collected and cleaned at this central location.

All staff members are trained specialists in disinfection and sterilisation procedures, with extensive experience and expertise in this field. The work is carried out according to the latest safety standards and guidelines. All equipment complies with the required regulations, standards, and validation procedures, ensuring a safe final product.

Distilled water of various purity grades is also available at this location. Continue reading to discover which sterilisation method or water quality best suits your application.

Central Glass Sterilisation Department (CGSA)

Processing Glassware

At the CGSA, all collected glassware is machine-washed and disinfected at a temperature of 70 °C.

The cleaning process removes visible or adhered dirt as well as invisible organic material. This step is crucial to prevent microorganisms from surviving, multiplying, and spreading further.

Disinfection is performed thermally, meaning microorganisms are killed or inactivated through heat. This reduces the number of microorganisms to an acceptable level, ensuring a consistently safe and disinfected final product.

Sterilisation Methods

At the CGSA, glassware, instruments, and liquids can be sterilised in different ways, depending on the needs of the researcher:

Autoclaving
- 121 °C: Suitable for glassware/bottles, some plastics, or instruments
- 134 °C: Suitable for incubator plates and instruments

Dry Sterilisation
- 180 °C: Suitable for glassware

Low-Temperature Plasma Sterilisation
- 45-60 °C (H2O2): Suitable for "thermolabile" materials that cannot withstand high pressure or temperature

Sterilisation of Contaminated Materials
Contaminated materials such as incubator plates or contaminated liquids can be delivered separately to ensure all contamination is safely destroyed.

Unsure about the most suitable method? Feel free to ask one of our staff members for advice. All our staff are specialised and trained in disinfection and sterilisation procedures

Distilled Water

All FHML staff can also access various quality levels of distilled water at the CGSD:

RIOS Water
This water is filtered and deionised through a reverse osmosis system. It is suitable for general laboratory applications, such as preparing buffers, cleaning glassware, and autoclaving.
- Inorganics: up to 18.2 MΩ-cm
- TOC (Typical): <10ppb
- Bacteria (Typical): <5CFU/ml
- Particles: 0.2µm filtration

UltraPure Milli-Q
This water is of the highest purity and is produced through a combination of reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and UV treatment. It is suitable for analytical and molecular biological applications, such as PCR, HPLC, and cell culture, where maximum purity is required.

Sterilisation Lab Coats (ML-I/ML-II)

Laboratory coats from ML-I or ML-II laboratories can be submitted to the CGSA in a sealed autoclave bag. They are first sterilised in the autoclave and then sent to the laundry for cleaning.

Every first Wednesday of the month, HSB publishes the ‘’HSB newsletter‘’. In this newsletter, announcements are made which are important for business operations in and around the FHML and FPN buildings. Subjects covered include maintenance work, changes in opening hours, tests of installations and announcements regarding the use of buildings and premises.

The newsletter is shared by e-mail with the department chairs, department leaders and armicos, with a request to distribute it within the units.
Besides this official route, the newsletter is shared on UMployee and published on our HSB website.