University of Louisville Cagewash Modernization

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ABSTRACT The University of Louisville (UofL) is an Institution of Emerging Excellence (IEE) and one of 23 states designated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) state, serving the research needs of medically underserved communities. As part of the IDeA state program, UofL is the recipient of four NIH funded Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) projects to target local and regional health crises in Kentucky and Appalachia. These include centers in 1) Center for Cardiometabolic Science, 2) Microbiomics and Inflammation, 3) Hepatobiology and Toxicology, and 4) Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. UofL is also the recipient of NIH funding for the Alcohol Center and the Envirome Institute Superfund Research Center, which studies the effects of cigarette smoke, e- cigarettes and other inhaled toxins on the cardiovascular system. UofL is requesting $306,360.00 for a modern, innovative, eco-friendly tunnel washer in the centrally located A- Tower Research Building Cagewash Facility. The A-Tower is adjacent to six research buildings that comprise the nucleus of the Health Sciences Campus (HSC), and serves as the primary cage wash facility for all rodent species on the HSC and the undergraduate Belknap campus. It also provides essential support for large animal cage washing. The current tunnel washer is over 20 years old, and is not ergonomically or eco-friendly. Routine maintenance and repair are frequent and costly. The Better Built Tunnel Washer, Model T236, represents a major innovative upgrade in cage wash equipment that is eco-friendly, integrative, and utilizes microcomputer technology. The new tunnel washer will increase our current cage wash throughput capacity by 25% for rodent caging and large animal caging accessories, to accommodate our growing rodent and large animal populations. The new cage washer will provide essential support for the four NIH funded COBRE grants, the Envirome Institute Superfund, and 64 investigators in 24 departments across the HSC and Belknap campus. A broad, diverse range of investigators and their research efforts in both biomedical and basic sciences will benefit from this equipment in this shared-use facility. This aligns with the principal missions of the NIH-NIGMS. UofL echoes these missions, with the establishment of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan in 2017 and the HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which is committed to expanding funding and employment of ethnic minorities.