Modernization of Cage Washing Equipment for The Natural Science Center's Vivarium to Jointly Support Multi-Disciplinary Research and Georgia State University Sustainability Initiatives

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Project Summary: The aim of this request is to modernize the cage wash facility within a biomedical animal research facility that supports NIH funded research and GSU’s Transgenic and Gene Targeting Core. This cage wash facility supports an attached animal facility, along with an upcoming satellite ABSL3 animal facility, that averages around 1,200 cages at a given time. The cage washer located within this facility is outdate and struggles to maintain the pace needed for this census due to building and utility limitations. Through replacing this machine, with a more utility efficient machine, the cage wash facility will be able to quadruple the throughput. This will allow the staff to work more efficiently in order to support the research needs and to ensure all items are sanitized and decontaminated properly in a timely fashion. Cycle times are predicted to be reduced from the current 35 minutes per load to 8 minutes per load. Additionally, this new machine will decrease our utility consumption immensely, which will support GSU’s sustainability initiatives to decrease our environmental impact across campus. Water usage will decrease over 90% with the new washer going from 150 gallons per cycle to a mere 13 gallons per cycle. This grant will also fund a bedding dispenser to help the cage wash staff ensure all cages are made in a uniform fashion, while also providing them with allergen and ergonomic injury protection. Bedding levels in individual ventilated cages can affect air conditions within the cage. Having an automated dispenser will ensure that cages are bedded uniformly and have similar conditions at all times across a study. Both of these listed items will contribute to GSU’s mission to provide a controlled and clean environment that supports meaningful, translatable and reproducible research.