Cagewash Renovation for Safety & Long-Term Research Support at The Salk Institute

简介（由申请人提供）：索尔克生物研究所是美国科学与科学促进会（AAALAC）认可的非营利性研究机构，致力于在生命科学领域做出基础性发现，改善人类健康，培养下一代研究人员。在客观衡量教师的贡献及其研究成果的影响方面，该研究所一直名列领先的研究机构之列。一个由系统神经科学、免疫生物学和微生物发病机制、干细胞生物学、行为科学和代谢研究组成的一流研究社区由2个集中的活体实验室、一个平均拥有13,000个笼子的屏障小鼠设施和一个传统的混合物种设施提供支持。最近，该研究所赞助了几个项目，包括安装新的空气处理装置、自动床上用品分配机、翻新屏障机械空间、传统的笼子清洗设备、墙壁、地板和天花板。索尔克的职业健康和安全、设施服务和动物资源部门已经评估了有关工作人员安全和保护设备更新的持续设施问题。本申请寻求资金，以提高体内安全性（过敏和人体工程学），同时确保适当保护小鼠免受外来病原体的侵害。这些目标将通过购买和安装两个bioBubble(R)层流过敏原捕获站来实现，用于中央笼子清洗污染操作，并将30个生锈和恶化的动物笼子更换站替换为符合人体工学的，高效，耐腐蚀，HEPA过滤的Techniplast动物转移站。这些为用户提供灵活性和保护，同时保持消毒，屏障保护我们独特和不可替代的小鼠繁殖群体。我们预计，通过减少能源消耗、人员个人防护装备和职业健康与安全相关费用，可以节省更多费用。这笔资金将使我们能够重新分配充值资源，继续翻新旧设备，并保持IACUC的合规和AAALAC的认证标准。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is an AAALAC accredited, non-profit research institution devoted to making fundamental discoveries in the life sciences, the improvement of human health and the training of future generations of researchers. The Institute consistently ranks among the leading research institutions in objective measures of the contributions of faculty and the impact of their findings. A premier research community of systems neuroscience, immunobiology and microbial pathogenesis, stem cell biology, behavioral science, and metabolic research is supported by 2 centralized vivaria, a barrier mouse facility which maintains an average of 13,000 cages and a conventional mixed species facility. Recently, the Institute sponsored several projects including the installation of new air handling units, an automated bedding dispenser, and renovations of the barrier mechanical space, and conventional cagewash equipment, walls, floors, and ceilings. Salk's Occupational Health and Safety, Facility Services and the Animal Resources Departments have assessed ongoing facility concerns regarding staff safety and capital renewal of protective equipment. This application seeks funds to make vivaria safety improvements (allergy and ergonomic) while ensuring proper protection of mice from adventitial pathogens. These goals will be accomplished by purchase and installation of two bioBubble(R) laminar flow allergen capture stations for use within central cagewash soiled operations and replacement of 30 rusted and deteriorated animal cage changing stations with ergonomically friendly, high efficient, corrosive resistant, HEPA filtered Techniplast animal transfer stations. These offer user flexibility and protection while maintaining sanitizable, barrier protection for our unique and irreplaceable mouse breeding colonies. We anticipate additional savings from reduced energy consumption, personnel PPE and Occupational Health and Safety related costs. Funds will allow us to reallocate recharge resources to continue refurbishing older units and maintain IACUC compliance and AAALAC accreditation standards.