Do not ship samples until you have received an email confirmation of your order and carefully reviewed the information below.

- Include a printed hardcopy of your (1) Order Confirmation Email, (2) Sample List, and (3) International Wildlife Addendum and/or SIF soil permit (if applicable) in your shipment - missing paperwork and unidentified sample containers makes shipment identification difficult. If you are shipping samples for multiple analyses, please print and include separate, corresponding Order Confirmation Emails and Sample Lists for each type of analysis that was requested and confirmed (e.g., C&N solid vs. O/H solid vs. gas samples).

- Perishable shipments must be shipped in an insulated cooler, with sufficient coolant and cushioning, and shipped expedited on a Monday or Tuesday to minimize delays with receipt and refrigeration.

- Ship samples with tracking (e.x. FedEx, UPS, or standard post with tracking) because sample delivery may still experience delays. The UC Davis Campus may reduce staffing according to local health ordinances at any time, so shipment delivery may be reduced.

International Shipments of Wildlife

The SIF is required to declare the import of all non-US wildlife samples (e.g., animal, fish, and invertebrates) to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (US FWS). The SIF requires that all of our international clients contact us prior to shipment of wildlife samples. Please use our Intl. Wildlife Species Addendum form to facilitate the discussion of your shipment, declaration, and potential permitting.

Printed, hardcopy permits are required for shipment of any CITES, ESA, MBTA, and MMPA materials and must be arranged in advance of shipment. Restricted materials shipped without permit may be seized by US Customs, and disposed of, with fines imposed.

Submitting Solid Samples to the UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility

- Organize samples into a clean 96-well tray. Load samples across rows and fully populate each row.

- Group samples of similar material together (for example, place all animal tissue samples in sequential cells).

- Record tray information, including sample weights and empty wells. Each sample’s ID must be unique. Do not repeat sample ID names, including the name “empty” for empty wells. Instead, sequentially number your empty wells (i.e., empty1, empty2, empty3…).

- Tray Names should be unique, especially for projects with multiple sample submissions over time. Use an indelible marker to label both the lid and bottom of tray with your name and the unique tray name, because ambiguous trays may be mishandled. Avoid naming your tray "Tray 1". Everyone has a Tray 1, and you may have multiple Tray 1s over the course of a year which may cause confusion with data sets. Be creative, we enjoy unique names!

- For enriched samples, arrange samples from low to high enrichment to avoid wide fluctuations in isotope content. Place non-enriched control samples ahead of enriched samples within the same tray. Use separate trays for different enriched and natural abundance experiments.

- Secure small samples by placing a silicone sealing mat, or an index card(s) (cut to size), over the open wells before securing the lid; do not use Parafilm or adhesive tape to cover the open wells as they are a source of contaminant. Tape the lid securely closed on all four sides. Turn the tray over and gently shake to test if samples stay in the wells or if the capsules leak sample material. Re-encapsulate any leaky capsules before shipping.

- Soil Permits are REQUIRED for packages containing soil, forest litter, wood or plant compost, humus, and earthworm castings. Please request our Soil Permit if shipping international or restricted soils.

Samples in Glass Vials or Bottles to the UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility

- Organize: Label each vial with a unique ID# as your data will reference your samples using these ID#s. Please package and order your samples sequentially, as listed in your sample list. Shipments that are particularly unordered may incur a handling fee.

- Group vials in ziplock bags, small boxes, or their original boxes. Vials larger than 20 mL ship best when separated by cardboard dividers. Loose vials can shatter during shipping.

- Secure groups of vials in a larger sturdy box with styrofoam peanuts or bubble wrap.

Submit Paperwork with Your Samples

- Order Confirmation Email(s) must accompany your shipment.

- Sample List(s) must accompany your shipment.

- Do not modify the Sample List structure. Deleting any columns or rows affects our ability to use your file.

- Each sample’s ID must be unique. Results will be reported using the sample ID#.

- Do not use any special characters (ie. ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) . / \ +) on the sample list. Only hypens ( - ) are acceptable. Maximum 20 characters per cell.

- Save digital copies of all of your forms.

Default Shipping Address for UPS, DHL, Standard Post, and International Post:

ATTN: Richard Doucett (ph: 530-752-8100)
UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility
Dept. of Plant Sciences, Mailroom 1210 PES
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
USA
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Standard Post:
Is received by UC Davis Mail Division for sorting. Mail Division then delivers to the department on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays Only.
UPS, DHL:
Deliveries on Monday - Friday 9am-4pm.
No deliveries on weekends or campus holidays.

Shipping Address for FedEx:

ATTN: Richard Doucett (ph: 530-752-8100)
UC Davis Stable Isotope Facility
Dept. of Plant Sciences
387 N Quad Ave., Mailroom 1210 PES
Davis, CA 95616
USA
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FedEx
Deliveries on Monday - Friday 9am-4pm
No deliveries on weekends or campus holidays.
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Customers are responsible for all customs fees.