Autoclave Improvements for UA Animal Facilities

具体目标 亚利桑那大学(UA)的研究项目侧重于2020年国土安全部健康人计划的目标 倡议：实现高质量、更长的寿命，没有可预防的疾病、残疾、伤害和过早死亡； 消除差异，改善所有群体的健康；创造社会和物质环境 促进全民健康，促进全民生活质量、健康发展和健康行为 生命的各个阶段。优生优育研究的具体领域包括传染病、免疫学、癌症、心脏 疾病、关节炎、糖尿病、呼吸系统疾病、记忆和衰老、缓解疼痛、基因组学和生物医学 工程学。动物研究对UA正在发展的这些和其他研究项目至关重要。 在过去的三年里，动物使用量增加了30%，研究资金和动物使用量也在计划中 从现在到2020年至少翻一番。用于研究的基因工程小鼠(GEM)和啮齿动物 在动物生物安全2级(ABSL-2)进行的工作负责最近的扩展，并将说明 未来扩张的绝大多数。高度依赖高压灭菌器来消毒宝石的笼子和 ABSL-2型鼠笼去污处理。高压灭菌器的可靠性是一个主要的规划问题，并提高了 需要高压灭菌器的能力来容纳UA迅速扩大的动物库存。这个项目 通过更换、添加或升级三个最大的高压灭菌器直接满足这些需求 UA的集中式动物设施，总共影响66,237个NASF空间，并影响106个由PHS资助的 向78名首席调查员发放补助金，每年拨款总额为4,680万美元。这项工程将极大地 提高可靠性，增加容量，并为维护大型设备的高压灭菌器提供冗余 无菌笼养和ABSL-2笼养的啮齿动物种群。该项目还将显著提高能源效率 保护自然资源，特别是水。改进的动物设施将有助于招募研究人员 教职员工、研究生和工作人员。由此产生的研究发现将增强健康和福祉 都是美国人。 具体目标1：更换亚利桑那州健康科学中心动物设施48年的高压灭菌器 (AHSC)(47,000 GSF；28,325 NASF)。这是位于笼子洗涤区的两个大型高压灭菌器之一 服务于最大的UA动物设施，并处于其使用寿命的末期。它是主要的高压锅，用于 对笼子里的宝石和免疫缺陷的啮齿动物进行消毒。这个的修复频率 高压灭菌器的价格很高，零部件变得极其难以获得。 具体目标2：在中央动物设施(CAF)安装第二个高压灭菌器(40254 GSF；21 139 NASF)。这个 只有位于咖啡馆笼子洗涤区的高压锅已有25年的历史，其使用寿命即将结束。它是 用于宝石的鼠笼消毒和净化未经批准的来源啮齿动物检疫和 ABSL-2型鼠笼。这个高压锅的维修频率很高，零件已经变得极其困难 获得，一扇门不再起作用，长时间停机需要将笼子运送到一英里 并从AHSC动物设施进行绝育。安装第二个高压灭菌器可提供冗余 短期内，当现有的高压灭菌器不再可修复时，可以进行替换。 具体目标3：升级BIO5动物设施中两个高压灭菌器的控制单元和门垫圈(BIO5) (23,040 GSF；16,773 NASF)。这两个高压灭菌器服务于整个宝石屏障设施，在那里只有无菌小鼠 使用笼子。这些高压灭菌器的使用经常由于工程设计不佳、专有控制而中断 不易维修的部件，以及必须至少每3次拆卸和维修一次的门垫圈 几周。 总而言之，这些改进将极大地提高高压灭菌器的可靠性，增加所需的灭菌器容量 用于扩展，并提供冗余，以便在预防性维护或维修期间继续运行 UA最大的三个动物设施中每一个都有单独的高压灭菌器。

SPECIFIC AIMS Research programs at the University of Arizona (UA) focus on the goals of the DHHS Healthy People 2020 initiative: attain high-quality, longer lives free of preventable disease, disability, injury, and premature death; eliminate disparities and improve the health of all groups; create social and physical environments that promote good health for all; and promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across all life stages. Specific areas of UA research excellence include infectious disease, immunology, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, respiratory disease, memory and aging, pain alleviation, genomics, and biomedical engineering. Animal research is vital to these and other research programs that are growing at the UA. Animal usage has increased 30% over the past three years, and research funding and animal use is projected to at least double between now and 2020. Genetically engineered mice (GEM) and rodents used in research conducted at Animal Biosafety Level 2 (ABSL-2) are responsible for recent expansion, and will account for the vast majority of future expansion. Autoclaves are heavily relied upon to sterilize caging for GEM and to decontaminate ABSL-2 rodent caging. Autoclave reliability is a major programmatic concern, and increased autoclave capacity is needed to accommodate the rapidly expanding animal inventory at the UA. This project directly addresses these needs through replacement, addition, or upgrades of autoclaves in the three largest centralized animal facilities at the UA, affecting a total of 66,237 nasf space and impacting 106 PHS-funded grants awarded to 78 Principal Investigators with $46.8 million total annual funding. The project will vastly improve reliability, increase capacity, and provide redundancy of autoclaves in the facilities that maintain large rodent populations in sterile and ABSL-2 caging. The project will also significantly improve energy efficiency and preserve natural resources, particularly water. Improved animal facilities will aid in recruitment of research faculty, graduate students, and staff. Resulting research discoveries will enhance the health and well-being of all Americans. Specific Aim 1: Replace a 48 year old autoclave at the Arizona Health Sciences Center Animal Facility (AHSC) (47,000 gsf; 28,325 nasf). This is one of two large autoclaves located in the cage wash area that serves the largest UA animal facility and is at the end of its useful life. It is the primary autoclave used to sterilize rodent caging for GEM and immune deficient rodents for this facility. The repair frequency for this autoclave is high and parts have become extremely difficult to obtain. Specific Aim 2: Install a second autoclave at the Central Animal Facility (CAF) (40,254 gsf; 21,139 nasf). The only autoclave located in the CAF cage wash area is 25 years old and nearing the end of its useful life. It is used to sterilize rodent caging for GEM and to decontaminate non-approved source rodent quarantine and ABSL-2 rodent caging. The repair frequency for this autoclave is high, parts have become extremely difficult to obtain, one door is no longer functional, and prolonged downtime requires caging be transported one mile to and from the AHSC animal facility for sterilization. Installing a second autoclave provides redundancy in the near term and a replacement when the existing autoclave is no longer repairable. Specific Aim 3: Upgrade control units and door gaskets on two autoclaves in the BIO5 Animal Facility (BIO5) (23,040 gsf; 16,773 nasf). These two autoclaves serve the entire GEM barrier facility where only sterile mouse caging is used. Use of these autoclaves is frequently disrupted due to poorly engineered, proprietary control units that are not easily repaired, and door gaskets that must be removed and serviced at least once every 3 weeks. Together, these improvements will greatly enhance autoclave reliability, increase autoclave capacity needed for expansion, and provide redundancy to allow continued operations during preventive maintenance or repair of individual autoclaves at each of the three largest UA animal facilities.