Improving Vivarium Cage Washing Facilities through Extra Capacity, Efficiency, an

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Anschutz) at the University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) is one of the foremost and newest biomedical research centers in the country and is the largest center for biomedical research between Chicago, Texas, and the West Coast. Despite recent cuts in Federal Funding and the highly competitive grant race, CU Denver investigators at CU Anschutz have continued to be well supported with regards to grant funding (over $400 million annually) with approximately 1/3 of research funding supporting animal based research. This project focuses on replacing cage and rack washers in the Research Complex 1 (RC1) and the Perinatal Research Facility (PRF) due to mechanical issues that result in significant downtime for both units. The problem is compounded by the fact that both are in locations where they are the only unit supporting their areas, and so downtime results in increased operational costs as hand washing or movement of equipment to other units must be undertaken. These projects have been placed on a list of capital equipment projects for the university and the animal program but other projects that have a direct impact on the compliance of the program have taken priority in the tight budget climate. In RC1, the proposed RC1 LYNX 450LX unit will replace a Steris 9500 unit that was not operational 44% of the working days over the past year, which has been about average for this unit since its installation in 2004. It will also double the capacity of the unit, which will be needed in this 50,000 nsf vivarium. This project requires the removal of the old units and installation of newer, more reliable units and will only require minor construction at both sites. In RC1, the proposed unit is double the size of the existing unit and therefore the pit dimensions will need to be increased by less than 2 feet and the existing curb will need to be rebuilt. However, no utilities or other major modifications of the work area are required for this project. In the PRF, the new LYNX 410LX unit will replace a MTP 2100 unit that is 30 years old and has been having increasing maintenance problems due to its age that are becoming increasingly costly. The new unit will require minor site work related to the existing mechanical area walls will be required but the unit itself will be placed into the existing pit and use existing utility connections. Overall the benefits to this project are significant for the camps. Both units will provide greater efficiency and in the case of the RC1 LYNX 450LX, double the capacity. Both of these projects proposed in this application will have a direct, significant positive impact for the Principal Investigators that house their animals in CU Anschutz facilities and allow them to remain competitive for grants without having to limit their research effort.