Conversion of Bryan Cagewash Area to Rodent Housing Space

杜克大学致力于科学研究及其翻译，以改善人类健康，其中包括 在研究中适当使用动物。2019年，杜克完成了杜克动物的更新总体规划 计划显示现有研究人员和未来招募的啮齿动物空间不足， 人口普查增长预测。在2020财年，杜克研究人员要求大量使用啮齿动物物种， 负责超过1.09亿美元的年度直接费用从美国国立卫生研究院的研究使用 啮齿动物杜克大学啮齿类动物研究项目的实力预计将继续增长7% 每年。重要的是，目前的需求已经超过了能力。作为杜克升级版Master的一个元素 计划扩大啮齿动物的居住空间，以满足当前和预计的研究需求，并使 重新利用腾出的空间，改造洗笼设施，沿着提供笼子， 位于共享使用的Bryan Research Animal的614净平方英尺（nsf）的辅助设备 设施（BRAF）已规划。该提案利用正在进行的机构资助的工作， 将杜克现有的啮齿动物洗笼设施更新到场外位置（2022年开放， 节能设备），使本提案能够专注于翻新 校园动物园，以满足神经生物学和生物医学系不断增长的研究工作 工程（BME）以及体内显微镜中心（CIVM）。具体来说，我们建议 购买单独通风笼（IVC），以扩大共享BRAF中的小鼠饲养， 它是独特和有效地运作，以支持独立和合作研究，使用 啮齿动物BRAF是一个现代化的动物园，其用户的研究目标的成功，是理想的 位于合作，并在允许啮齿动物的纵向研究，特别是当动物 在被带到成像区和研究实验室后， 包含对他们的研究目标至关重要的专门仪器。此外，该设施还支持 CIVM、神经生物学和BME研究人员对其他机构的啮齿动物进行研究的能力 而不必经历重新衍生或长时间的隔离期。BRAF是一种重要的动物 杜克的研究项目中的设施，并需要为当前和未来的研究人员提供额外的啮齿动物住房。作为 这次翻新是在现有的中央管理的动物园，空间的运作和监督将 无缝地纳入杜克的兽医医疗，动物护理和行政结构， 实验动物资源部（DLAR）。拟议项目将利用机构投资 增加啮齿动物收容能力，为基础、平移和临床前研究提供最先进的空间， 啮齿动物的研究。为了与杜克对可持续发展的承诺保持一致， 共享使用的BRAF将满足杜克高性能建筑框架的要求。

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.