Conversion of Bryan Cagewash Area to Rodent Housing Space

杜克大学致力于科学研究及其转化，以改善人类健康，其中包括

Duke University is committed to scientific research and its translation to improve human health, which includes appropriate use of animals in research. In 2019, Duke completed an updated Master Plan for Duke’s animal program showing insufficient rodent space for existing researchers and future recruits using conservative census growth projections. In FY2020, Duke researchers required significant use of rodent species and were responsible for over $109 million in annual direct costs from the National Institutes of Health for research using rodents. The strength of Duke’s research programs with rodents is projected at the continued growth of 7% annually. Importantly, current demand already exceeds capacity. As an element of Duke’s updated Master Plan to expand housing space for rodents to meet current and projected research needs and to enable repurposing vacated space, renovation of a cagewash facility along with providing caging and ancillary items to equip 614 net square feet (nsf) located in the shared-use Bryan Research Animal Facility (BRAF) is planned. This proposal leverages ongoing, institutionally funded work to relocate and update Duke’s existing cagewash facilities for rodents to an off-site location (opening in 2022 with automated, energy-efficient equipment), allowing this proposal to focus on renovation of a vacated cagewash space in an on-campus vivarium to meet growing research efforts of the Departments of Neurobiology and Biomedical Engineering (BME) as well as the Center of In-Vivo Microscopy (CIVM). Specifically, we propose purchasing of individually ventilated cages (IVC) to expand mouse housing in the shared-use BRAF, which is uniquely and efficiently operated to support independent and collaborative research using rodents. The BRAF is a modern vivarium integral to the success of its users’ research objectives, is ideally located for collaborations, and is unique in permitting longitudinal studies of rodents, particularly when animals need to be returned to their housing location after being taken to imaging areas and researcher laboratories containing specialized instrumentation critical to their research objectives. In addition, this facility supports the ability of the CIVM, Neurobiology and BME researchers to conduct studies with rodents from other institutions without having to undergo re-derivation or an extensive quarantine period. The BRAF is an essential animal facility in Duke’s research program and needs additional rodent housing for current and future researchers. As this renovation is within an existing centrally managed vivarium, the operation and oversight of the space will be incorporated seamlessly into the veterinary medical, animal care, and administrative structure of Duke’s Division of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR). The proposed project will leverage institutional investments to increase rodent housing capacity and provide state-of-the-art space for basic, translational, and pre-clinical studies with rodents. In keeping with Duke’s commitment to sustainability, the renovation of vacated space in the shared-use BRAF will meet the requirements of Duke’s High-Performance Building framework.