Modernization of the UTHSC Animal Care Facility

UTHSC 动物护理设施的现代化

• 批准号: 10533520
• 负责人: David John Hamilton
• 金额: $ 32.05万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE HEALTH SCI CTR
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-07-01 至 2023-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10533520
• 关键词: Affect; Animal Experimentation; Animal Housing; Animal Welfare; Animals; Biotechnology; Canis familiaris; Cities; Data Collection; Drowning; Equipment; Family suidae; Floods; Foundations; Funding; Goat; Grant; Health Sciences; Health care facility; Housing; Human Resources; Individual; Injury; Laboratories; Laboratory Animals; Maintenance; Medical; Methods; Modernization; Monitor; Mus; Notification; Ownership; Principal Investigator; Research; Risk; Rodent; Safety; Savings; Services; Solid; Stainless Steel; System; Tennessee; Time; Translating; Universities; Variant; Vendor; Water; Water Supply; Work; animal care; animal facility; biopharmaceutical industry; cost; design; drinking; drinking water; experience; falls; improved; microbial; nonhuman primate; novel; operation; pressure; prevent; sound; square foot; stem; water flow; water quality; water testing

The Laboratory Animal Care Unit (LACU) is 1 of 9 institutional cores within the UTHSC Office of Research and is responsible for providing all laboratory animal services and regulatory oversight for the UTHSC campus across 6 animal facilities. The LACU supports the animal research needs of 120 active principal investigators (PIs) on the UTHSC campus. The newest animal facility addition to the campus is the UTHSC Animal Care Facility (UACF), which was constructed in 2012 by a local foundation and purchased by UTHSC in 2021.The facility currently supports the animal research needs of 19 UTHSC PIs, and 1 local biotechnology company, with funding and grants totaling $41,248,674. It also is the primary animal facility where work with large animals (pigs, dogs, non-human primates, goats etc.) can be performed. While the facility is of sound design and quality, several features are missing that are standard in modern animal facilities. The primary deficiency is an automated animal watering system (AWS) which, as a result, obligates the use of individual cage water bottles (for rodents) or water bowls/troughs (for larger animals). This creates increased labor costs associated with the filling, cleaning, cage placement and monitoring of water bottles by both animal facility and research staff. An AWS delivers a more consistent water supply throughout the facility, thus reducing potential variability from animal to animal which would affect data collection. Automated watering systems also have built in alarms, which send notification should an increase in the water flow amount be detected, which indicates the presence of an active leak. These leaks can then be corrected, thus preventing loss of animals due to drowning within a cage. In contrast, an alarm system is not possible when providing water bottles, and the use of water bottles for rodents is associated with more instances of cage flooding and animal welfare concerns. The use of an AWS is associated with decreased water and energy requirements, and a reduced risk of ergonomic injuries in personnel. Finally, an AWS also provides a considerable savings in labor costs, and frees up time for technicians to devote to other important duties related to animal care.

实验动物护理单位(LAU)是UTHSC办公室内9个机构核心之一 研究并负责提供所有实验动物服务和监管 监督UTHSC园区的6个动物设施。Lacu养着动物 UTHSC校园120名积极的主要调查人员(PI)的研究需求。 校园里最新增加的动物设施是UTHSC动物护理设施(UACF)， 它于2012年由当地一家基金会建造，并于2021年由UTHSC购买 该设施目前支持19名UTHSC PI和1名当地PIs的动物研究需求 生物技术公司，资金和赠款总额为41,248,674美元。它也是最主要的 与大型动物(猪、狗、非人灵长类、山羊等)一起工作的动物设施能 被执行。虽然该设施的设计和质量都很好，但有几个功能缺失 是现代动物设施的标配。主要的缺陷是自动化动物 浇水系统(AWS)，因此，必须使用单独的笼式水瓶(用于 (啮齿动物)或水碗/水槽(用于较大的动物)。这就增加了劳动力成本 与灌装、清洁、放置笼子和监测水瓶有关 动物设施和研究人员。AWS在整个过程中提供更一致的供水 该设施，从而减少了动物之间潜在的可变性，这将影响数据 收集。自动浇水系统也内置了报警器，它应该发送通知 检测到水流量的增加，这表明存在活动的 漏水。然后可以纠正这些泄漏，从而防止因溺水而造成的动物损失 一个笼子。相比之下，当提供水瓶时不可能有报警系统，并且使用 啮齿类动物的水瓶的使用与更多的笼子淹水和动物 福利问题。AWS的使用与水和能源的减少有关 要求，并降低人员的人体工学伤害风险。最后，AWS还 节省了大量人力成本，并腾出时间让技术人员专注于 与动物看护有关的其他重要职责。