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

UMN 研究动物资源现代化，以增加啮齿动物研究产出并规划未来自动化

• 批准号: 10533204
• 负责人: Nathan J Koewler
• 金额: $ 33.52万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-08-01 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10533204
• 关键词: Address; Aging; Animal Experimentation; Animals; Applications Grants; Automation; Award; Biomedical Engineering; Biomedical Research; Biotechnology; Brain Diseases; Censuses; Cities; Communicable Diseases; Communities; Corrosion; Environmental Impact; Equipment; Funding; Future; Genetic; Goals; Growth; Housing; Injury; Institution; Investments; Laboratory Animals; Link; Maintenance; Malignant Neoplasms; Minnesota; Mission; Modeling; Modernization; Neurodegenerative Disorders; Neurosciences; Output; Positioning Attribute; Preparation; Preventive Medicine; Process; Productivity; Rare Diseases; Research; Research Personnel; Research Project Grants; Research Support; Resource Sharing; Risk; Risk Management; Robotics; Rodent; Safety; Safety Management; Sanitation; Speed; Strategic Planning; Time; Twin Multiple Birth; United States National Institutes of Health; Universities; Update; Water; Women' s Health; animal care; animal resource; biomedical imaging; high risk; improved; innovation; instrumentation; operation; pandemic disease; repaired; risk mitigation

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.

项目总结/摘要 该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）通过其研究动物实验室 资源（RAR）共享设施。美国国立卫生研究院的奖金总额超过63，000，000美元，每个UMN 动物相关的研究。这一具体建议的目标是获得现代，高效， 隧道清洗仪器以保护和加强研究和投资，同时 定位于提高生产力和改善环境的未来创新 持续发展 位于UMN RAR的生物医学动物研究包括神经科学的资助项目， 遗传学，大脑疾病，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 和其他许多人.目前，共有767个研究项目和345多名研究人员依赖于 高品质的动物护理在双城校园RAR设施。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 的RAR。由于UMN对动物研究的承诺越来越多， 在过去两年中，在全球 大流行，创新和升级已被推迟进行维护，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，我们描述了一种关键需求， 克服这一瓶颈，实现我们的自动化和效率的长期计划。这 FOA将允许UMN解决关键未满足需求的资金问题，并为未来定位 可持续发展，以满足日益增长的需求。这涉及到更换旧的， 维修密集、效率低和可能有害的隧道清洗设备， 准备所需的空间，以适当容纳位于 RAR的MCB分支。该设备将安装为通过一个 “屏障”，从而在清洗过程中将污染物与清洁的外壳部件完全隔离。 清洗过程，并显着提高吞吐量和消毒的可靠性， 笼子和其他设备。重要的是，与其他UMN倡议一致，这一新的 设备将帮助UMN实现其能源效率目标，以及推进可持续发展 废水处理的目标。提高消毒的速度和可靠性 研究材料和其他设备将提高研究能力， 质量.此外，这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，并使宝贵的工作人员努力得到更多有意义的利用。 最后，随着中标，老化的隧道冲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相兼容。这 包括一项战略计划，以整合机器人自动化，这将在生产力，员工 安全和风险管理。