Developing and Improving Fox Chase's Animal Resources

描述（由申请人提供）： Fox Chase癌症中心的实验动物设施多年来一直为研究人员提供优质的动物护理和支持，自1969年首次申请以来，已获得国际实验动物护理评估和认证协会（AAALAC）的全面认证。从那时起，该研究所和动物研究计划有了显着的增长，与一个新装修的5800平方米的成功整合。英尺SPF研究屏障设施和一个新创建的1300平方米。英尺隔离设施。多年来一直提供日常维护，对物理结构进行了重大改进，但笼清洗设备已使用20年，越来越不可靠。由于维修和适当卫生条件保险的停工，延误了向动物房运送用品的工作，增加了动物护理人员的维修费用和加班工资。动物护理计划的持续扩展需要使用更高效和可靠的设备来实现这一功能的现代化。因此，我们要求提供资金，用于两个隧道式洗衣机、一个机架式洗衣机、一个床上用品分配器和一个瓶子灌装站。自1999年以来，资助研究中使用的小鼠笼数量增加了115%，目前已将动物饲养设施填满;预计未来每年将增加18%。已经开始系统地购买高密度微型隔离器架，但目前的购买速度不足以满足不断增加的啮齿动物数量。为了向免疫缺陷动物研究屏障中饲养的重要研究动物提供笼级保护，并增加研究啮齿动物种群，要求提供资金，以增加四个通风笼装置和两个HEPA过滤更换罩。这将是提高研究啮齿动物住房质量和数量的整体计划的重要一步。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Laboratory Animal Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center has provided excellent quality animal care and support to research investigators for many years, and has enjoyed Full Accreditation by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since its first application in 1969. Since that time, the institute and the animal research programs have grown significantly, with the successful integration of a newly renovated 5800 sq. ft. SPF Research Barrier facility and a newly created 1300 sq. ft. quarantine facility. Routine maintenance has been provided over the years with significant improvements to the physical structures, but the cage wash equipment has been in use for 20 years and is increasingly unreliable. Downtime for repairs and insurance of proper sanitation conditions has resulted in delays in the delivery of supplies to animal rooms and increased costs for maintenance and for overtime salaries of animal care staff. The continuing expansion of the animal care program necessitates the modernization of this function with more efficient and reliable equipment. We are therefore requesting funds for two tunnel washers, one rack washer, one bedding dispenser and one bottle filling station. The number of mouse cages used in funded research has increased 115% since 1999 and has filled the animal holding facility to capacity at the present time; an annual increase of 18% is projected for the future. The systematic purchase of high-density microisolator racks has begun but the current rate of purchase is inadequate to meet the increasing rodent population. In order to provide cage level protection to the important research animals maintained in the immunodeficient animal research barrier and increase the research rodent population funding is requested for four additional ventilated caging units and two HEPA filtered change hoods. These will be a major step in an overall plan to improve the quality and increase the quantity of housing for research rodents.