Sample Drop off and Shipping Instructions

For Shipping instructions, read further down

Sample drop off

Please familiarize yourself with the general drop off procedure

There are two drop off locations

• If you have a Harvard ID -> use drop off in the basement B2. This is better for your samples but requires an ID to enter the building (any Harvard ID works)
• If you do not have a Harvard ID -> use drop off in the shipping area

Be aware that in general you should only drop off / send samples after having done an online submission. If you need to drop off the samples before having made the online submission, please make sure to have communicated clearly with a member of the core beforehand, or samples may get lost or stay in the drop off area for some time. For shipped samples, we can only accept packages that are expected, so make sure to communicate with us beforehand and to make an online submission. 

Here are the options for providing samples to the core. In case of doubt do not hesitate to contact us. We highly recommend that you discuss any sample drop-off with your contact at HCMS beforehand.

Drop off procedure

General procedure in short:

1. Bring the samples to the drop off area
2. Leave the samples in the drop off freezer or the fridge or in a box with dry ice. (according to your samples requirement)
3. Send your contact an email to indicate you have dropped off the samples.
4. You can leave. 

Note that emails are NOT monitored every few minutes. When a staff is working in the lab, it could be hours before the emails are checked. If you agreed in advance to drop off sample on a specific day and you are within the agreed time frame, your samples will be transferred to the core on that day. 

• For samples that absolutely require to stay at -80°C (as opposed to those that would be ok in the -20°C for a few hours), please follow these steps
  • Inform your contact in advance and agree on a time window when the samples will be dropped off
  • Leave the samples on the freezer in a Styrofoam box with dry ice. Bring your own dry ice. Dry ice may be available on site, but there is no guarantee.
  • Send an email as soon as possible after the samples have been dropped off.

Samples dropped off after normal business hours will stay in the drop off freezer until the next business day, so take that into account. 

BASEMENT DROP OFF (Harvard ID required)

• Samples are to be dropped off in our drop-off freezer and fridge (Shared with the Bauer core). They are situated just to the left when exiting the main Northwest lab elevators (not the parking elevators) on the B2 level. Note that the Bauer core has different requirements for drop-off. For HCMS, please do not fill anything in the paper log. Bring your samples in a bag or box, clearly labelled with your name, lab name and if available submission (SUB) number. Email your contact at HCMS or the proteomics email to let us know you have dropped off samples.
• The main elevators for the building are indicated in this map

• Take elevators to B2 and you will see the Fridge and Freezer drop off. 

Shipping area DROP OFF (Harvard ID not required)

• Use this drop off only if you do not have access to the building. Any Harvard ID holder is expected to drop off in the basement, not here.
• Email your contact at HCMS or the proteomics email to let us know you have dropped off samples, and MAKE SURE TO INDICATE YOU USED THE SHIPPING AREA DROP OFF
• find the shipping and receiving entrance, see map below. it is opposite to the garage entrance, close to the "bridge" over the road passing through the building. see the orange arrow below

• the door looks like this, enter and go straight

Shipping

• Courier services:
  • Please make sure to inform your contact at HCMS if you are sending samples by courier and to agree in advance on the schedule.
  • For Harvard members not on the Cambridge campus, you can use the internal courier service to deliver samples (even on dry ice).
  • Other courier services have delivered successfully samples to the core. Please address the samples to your HCMS contact, C/O shipping and receiving
• Fedex/UPS/DHL
• The shipping address is 

HCMS

Northwest Laboratories, B247

52 Oxford street

Cambridge MA 02138 

Please add your HCMS contact name on the first line. 

Please use proper packaging. Make sure vials are tighly closed and double labelled (with a label resisting solvents). 

DO NOT SHIP to 1033 Mass Ave (this is the general official harvard address for POs)

• Those are handed to the northwest building receiving staff, which then delivers them to the core within a few hours.
• Fedex (usually overnight on dry ice, depending on your samples) works well
• DHL usually has no problems, but depending on the service chosen there might be complications in the delivery (guaranteed early morning services sometimes might not find receiving staff)