Modernization of Stanford's Large Animal Cage Wash Facility

 描述（由申请人提供）：目前斯坦福大学有499名主要研究人员在他们的研究中使用实验室动物，截至2014财年，他们的资助奖金总额为2.77亿美元。去年，随着再生和心血管医学的新教师和新研究项目的增加，大型动物，特别是羊和猪的平均每日人口普查翻了一番。 由于加州正在经历极端干旱，气候预测预测干旱将持续下去，因此本提案的总体目标是加强Falk心血管研究大楼（CVRB）大型动物笼清洗的水和公用设施保护，作为长期战略计划的一部分，以保持大型动物研究企业的生态健康和可持续性。 Falk CVRB中已有31年历史的笼清洗系统目前每周对约30个大型动物笼/围栏、35个设备保持架、富集材料和15个大型动物运输笼进行消毒。它正在满负荷运行，每年使用约70万加仑的水。在过去的三年里，斯坦福大学投资超过5000万美元升级动物设施，将大多数小动物饲养场改造成啮齿动物可回收笼，这是朝着节约用水迈出的有针对性的一步。通过用新的、技术先进的节水系统取代当前的CVRB Falk大型动物笼清洗机，我们将能够满足不断增长的大型动物种群的需求，优化该地区的空间使用和工作流程，提高工人的安全性和舒适度，提高公用事业和劳动力的成本节约，重要的是，节省超过450，000加仑水/年（用水量减少约67%）。新的机架清洗机还将允许Falk CVRB大型动物饲养区，面对不断增长的需求，维持和维护动物福利和符合动物福利法，USDA和DHHS要求的标准的笼子卫生过程。 该项目不需要对Falk CVRB笼洗区进行重大结构性变更，尽管部分预算已分配给坑面重铺。顾问已经证实，我们不需要任何机械、电气或管道（MEP）变更来支持新的拟议笼清洗设备。在翻新期间，大型动物笼洗涤将暂时转移到备用校园位置。主要研究者和关键人员均为经验丰富的动物园项目经理。该项目将在一年的时间内完成时间轴。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are currently 499 principal investigators at Stanford who use laboratory animals in their research and, as of FY 2014, their funded awards total $277M. Last year, with the addition of new faculty and new research programs in regenerative and cardiovascular medicine, the average daily census for large animals, specifically for sheep and pigs, doubled. Because California is experiencing extreme drought and climate projections predict it will continue, the overall objective of this proposal is to enhance water and utilities conservation in the Falk Cardiovascular Research Building's (CVRB) large animal cage wash, as a part of the long range strategic plan to keep the large animal research enterprise here ecologically sound and sustainable. The 31-year-old cage wash system in Falk CVRB currently sanitizes ~30 large animal cages/run fencing, 35 equipment holding racks, enrichment materials, and 15 large animal transport cages on a weekly basis. It is operating at capacity and uses ~700,000 gallons of water per year. Over the last three years, Stanford invested more than $50M upgrading the animal facilities, converting most small animal vivariums to rodent recyclable caging, a targeted step toward water conservation. By replacing the current CVRB Falk large animal cage washer with a new, technologically advanced, water-conserving system, we will be able to meet the needs of the growing large animal population, optimize space use and workflow in the area, enhance worker safety and comfort, improve cost savings on utilities and labor, and importantly, save over ~450,000 gallons of water/year (a reduction in water usage by ~67%). The new rack washer will also allow the Falk CVRB large animal housing area, in the face of increasing demand, to sustain and maintain animal well-being and the cage sanitation process in compliance with the standards required by the Animal Welfare Act, the USDA, and the DHHS. This project will not require major structural changes in the Falk CVRB cage wash area, though a portion of the budget has been allocated to pit resurfacing. Consultants have verified we do not require any mechanical, electrical, or plumbing (MEP) changes to support the new proposed cage wash equipment. During renovations, large animal cage washing will be temporarily diverted to alternate campus locations. The PI and the key personnel are experienced vivarium project managers. This project will be completed well within a one-year timeline.