Modernization to UMN Research Animal Resources for Increased Rodent Research Output and Plan for Future Automation

项目摘要/摘要 这个应用程序的长期目标是提高未来的质量和效率 明尼苏达大学(UMN)通过其研究动物进行实验动物护理 资源(RAR)共享设施。国立卫生研究院向曼彻斯特大学颁发的奖金总额超过6300万美元。 与动物相关的研究年。这一具体建议的目标是获得现代的、高效的 隧道清洗仪器，以保护和加强研究和投资，同时 定位于提高生产率和改善环境的未来创新 可持续发展。 UMN RAR的生物医学动物研究包括神经科学方面的资助项目， 遗传学、脑部疾病、生物工程、罕见疾病、生物技术、生物医学成像、 癌症、神经退行性疾病、妇女健康、预防医学、传染病 还有其他许多人。总共有767个研究项目和超过345名调查人员目前依赖于 双城校园RAR设施的高质量动物护理。提供 最高质量、合规和高效的动物护理以促进研究是一项持续的使命 RAR的。由于UMN和UMN对动物研究的极其沉重和不断增长的承诺 过去两年全球金融危机期间机构资金可获得性的限制 流行病、创新和升级因维护而被推迟，我们必须推迟 完成我们最具创新性的解决方案。在本申请中，我们描述了一种迫切需要 克服这一瓶颈，实现我们自动化和高效的长期计划。这 FOA将使UMN能够解决关键的未得到满足的需求的资金问题，并为未来定位 可持续增长，以满足日益增长的需求。这涉及到替换旧的、 维修强度大、效率低和可能有害的隧道清洗设备以及 准备所需空间，以便适当地容纳位于 RAR的MCB分支机构。该设备将被安装为通过一个 “屏障”，从而完全隔离污染和清洁的住房部件在 洗涤工艺，显著提高了洗涤的处理量和可靠性 笼子和其他设备。重要的是，与UMN的其他倡议保持一致，这一新的 设备将帮助UMN实现其能源效率目标，并促进可持续性 废水处理方面的目标。提高了卫生处理的速度和可靠性 研究材料和其他设备将提高研究能力和 质量。此外，它还将消除工作人员将笼子运送到其他设施的需要， 从而有助于减少风险和更有意义地利用宝贵的工作人员的努力。 最后，获奖成功后，老化的隧道清洗设备所占用的空间将被 与该机构正在考虑的未来更具创新性的计划兼容。这 包括一项战略计划，以集成机器人自动化，这将在生产力、员工 安全和风险管理。

Project Summary/Abstract This application's long-term objective is to improve the quality and efficiency of the future of laboratory animal care at the University of Minnesota (UMN) through its Research Animal Resources (RAR) shared facilities. NIH awards totaled more than $63,000,000 to UMN each year for animal-related studies. The goal of this specific proposal is to acquire modern, efficient tunnel washing instrumentation to protect and enhance research and investments, while positioning for future innovation of increased productivity and improved environmental sustainability. Biomedical animal research housed at RAR at UMN includes funded projects in neuroscience, genetics, brain disorders, bioengineering, rare diseases, biotechnology, biomedical imaging, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, women’s health, preventative medicine, infectious disease and many others. In all, 767 research projects and over 345 investigators currently depend on the high quality animal care at the Twin Cities Campus RAR facilities. Providing the highest quality, compliant and efficient animal care to facilitate research is an ongoing mission of the RAR. Due to extremely heavy and growing commitments for animal research at UMN and limitation in the availability of institutional funds over the past two years during the global pandemic, innovation and upgrades have been deferred for maintenance and we must defer the completion of our most innovative solutions. In this application we describe a critical need to overcome this bottleneck and achieve our long-term plan of automation and efficiency. This FOA will allow the UMN to address the funding of key unmet needs and position itself for future sustainable growth to meet the growing demands. This involves the replacement of old, maintenance intensive, inefficient and potentially deleterious tunnel washing equipment and the preparation of space required in order to properly accommodate the required function located in the MCB branch of RAR. This equipment will be installed to discharge sanitized cages through a "barrier", thus completely separating contaminated from clean housing components during the washing process and significantly improving throughput and reliability of the sanitization of cages and other equipment. Importantly, in alignment with other UMN initiatives, this new equipment will help UMN meet its energy efficiency goals as well as advancing sustainability goals in wastewater treatment. Improvements in speed and reliability of the sanitization of research materials and other equipment will improve both research capacity and quality. Furthermore, it will eliminate the need for staff to transport cages to other facilities, thereby contributing to risk mitigation and additional meaningful use of precious staff efforts. Finally, with a successful award, space occupied by the aging tunnel washing equipment will be compatible for future even more innovative plans being considered by the institution. This includes a strategic plan to integrate robotic automation that will take strides in productivity, staff safety and risk management.