Chlorine Dioxide Gas Generators for Equipment and Room Sterilization

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Principal Investigator/Program Director (Last, first, middle): Criley, Jennifer, M Project Summary/Abstract The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) seeks funding to purchase two (2) portable chlorine dioxide gas generators for sterilizing specialized rodent testing equipment and laboratory animal housing rooms located across campus. The use of this sterilizing equipment to specifically eradicate Mouse and Rat Parvovirus (MPV, RPV, RMV) environmental contamination will directly impact the research of eighteen principal investigators and indirectly the entire UIUC laboratory animal care program. These eighteen principal investigators account for $19 million and $44.9 millon in total active and pending research expenditures, respectively. Currently, biomedical research expenditures for all of UIUC total $110 million (active) and $268 million (pending). There are specialized housing and testing equipment in use which makes traditional methods of sanitation of equipment not feasible. Large equipment and equipment which is mounted in rooms must be sanitized in situ which is best accomplished by sterilization with a sterilant in a true gas form - allowing for permeation of multiple components in multiple configurations. This can only be accomplished by a portable chlorine dioxide generator. Through the elimination of adventitious agents (e.g. MPV, RPV, RMV) in our rodent colonies, UIUC biomedical research will be significantly enhanced by 1) reducing research variables (i.e. introduction of pathogenic agents), 2) expanding the use of on campus, shared, core facilities and services (e.g. imaging center, anesthesia equipment, etc.), 3) facilitating the sharing of unique and valuable rodent lines with peer institutions, 4) enabling more efficient use of animal housing areas by reducing the number of rooms required to segregate "clean" and "dirty" animals and 5) allowing more efficient use of staffing and thus reducing labor costs by simplifying traffic patterns and other containment measures. The Project PI is a Diplomate of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine and has extensive training and experience in designing and implementing rodent biosecurity programs. Further, the PI and the other professional personnel listed on this application have veterinary, managerial, and operational oversight of the animal facilities which will be impacted by this grant. UIUC annually invests over $1,500,000 in direct support of its laboratory animal/biomedical research program. This funding targets personnel salaries, renovations/maintenance, equipment expenditures, and support of core facilities (e.g. transgenic mouse and polyclonal antibody production units). Per diem expenditures to active grants produces another $1,380,000 annually to fund our laboratory animal care and use program. The scope of this project does not have a negative impact on the environment nor does it require any renovations or modifications to the existing animal facilities. Occupational health and safety issues will be addressed to ensure safe and efficient use of the sterilizing chlorine dioxide gas generators.