Sign in and get approved
- Open the app and click Sign in with Google to log in with your Google account.
- The first time, you will see a Request access screen. Enter your full name. If the teaching lab members gave you an access code, enter it too, and you will be let in right away.
- Click Submit request. Without a code you will see Waiting for admin approval. The teaching lab members will approve you and assign you to your team. Come back later and click Check again.
Check your team budget first
Click My Budget in the top bar. It shows your team's total budget, how much has been spent, and what is left.
If an order would put your team over budget, the app may stop you from submitting it. Talk to your TA before that happens rather than after.
Request an item
Click Add Request at the top of the left sidebar and fill in the form. Fields marked with a red star are required.
| Field | What to put there |
|---|---|
| Catalog # | The vendor's catalog or part number. If the item is already in the catalog, typing it fills in most of the form for you. |
| Product URL | A direct link to the exact product page. Always include one. Use the vendor's page if there is no item link. |
| Vendor and Item Name | Who sells it and what it is. Put the actual company, not a marketplace. |
| Unit / pack size and Quantity | What one unit is (for example "pack of 100") and how many units you need at that price. |
| Type and Subcategory | Pick the closest match from the lists. This is how spending is reported. |
| Grant ID | Your team. It is filled in for you once the teaching lab members have assigned you to a team. |
| Justification | One or two sentences on what this is for in your project. Be specific, because approvers read it. |
| Attachments | Optional. Add a quote or required form if you have one. |
Click submit when you are done. For primers, oligos, gene fragments or sequencing, do not use this form. Use the DNA order button instead, described in step 4.
Order DNA: primers, gene fragments and sequencing
Custom DNA has its own form. Click DNA order, just under Add Request in the left sidebar. One submission becomes one order no matter how many sequences are in it, so put a whole set of primers for an experiment into a single order.
- Pick the Order type. The columns you fill in change to match it.
- Give the order a name your team will recognize, such as
Group2_RFP_primers, then pick the Vendor and your Group / fund. - Add your sequences. For a few, click Add row and type each one in. For many, use Add in bulk (below).
- Check the Estimated cost. If you have a real quote from the vendor, enter it under Price to record.
- Add any notes for the purchaser, tick the box confirming you double checked the direction of every sequence, and click Submit DNA order.
What to enter for each sequence
| Order type | Columns |
|---|---|
| Oligos, ultramers and gene fragments | Name, sequence written 5' to 3', scale (for example 25 nmole) and purification (for example Standard Desalting). As you type, the app shows each sequence's length, GC% and Tm so you can sanity check your primers. |
| Sequencing | Sample name, DNA length in bp, the primer name(s) to sequence with, and any notes. |
Ordering many sequences at once
- Click Add in bulk, then Create Google Sheet (or Download .xlsx). A sheet with the right columns and dropdowns opens in a new tab.
- Fill it in, come back to the app, and click Load from sheet.
- Already have the rows in a spreadsheet? Copy them, paste them into the box under Add in bulk, and click Add pasted rows. You can add up to 500 sequences in one order.
Track your order
The Orders view shows every request in one of four stages. Click any order to see its details, comments and history.
Small orders may skip Needs Approval and go straight to Requested. You can cancel your own request while it is still waiting to be ordered. If the teaching lab members have a question, they will comment on the order or contact you.
Slack updates and comments
Every new request is also posted to the class Slack orders channel. As the order moves along, emoji reactions on that post show its progress.
New request: Nitrile gloves, size M, box of 100 (x2)
Team 3, requested by a student
1
1
1
OrderedThe order has been placed.ShippedIt is on its way.DeliveredThe package has arrived.
ReceivedUnpacked and logged in the app.To ask a question or add information about an order, you can comment directly in the app (open the order and add a comment) or reply in the order's thread in Slack. Comments added in the app are also posted to the Slack thread, so everyone following the order sees them.
When it arrives
The teaching lab members normally unpack deliveries and mark items received in the app. When that happens, you get an email notification that your item has arrived and where it was put.
- Pick up your item and check that it matches what you ordered.
- If anything is missing or wrong, add a comment on the order right away.
- If a package ever comes to you directly, open the order in the Ordered stage and click Mark Received yourself. Describe where you put it in as much detail as you can (room, bench or shelf, fridge or freezer, and which box) so anyone else can find it.
Help and common problems
I signed in but it says I am waiting for approval.
The teaching lab members have not approved you yet. Give it some time, then click Check again. If it has been more than a day, message your TA.
I cannot see my team's budget, or Grant ID is empty.
You have not been assigned to a team yet. Ask your TA to add you to your team in the app.
The app is blank or a button does nothing.
Reload the page with Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac or Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows. If you are signed into several Google accounts in one browser, try a private or incognito window and sign in with only your class account.
The app is slow the first time I open it.
That is normal. The first load of the day can take several seconds while Google starts the app.
I made a mistake in a request.
If it has not been ordered yet, cancel it and submit a corrected one, or add a comment explaining the change. Once it has been ordered, comment on the order and tell your TA.
Something looks broken or I have an idea for the app.
Click Feedback in the top right corner of the app and describe what happened. Include what you clicked and what you expected.