Enhancement and Expansion: Penn Neurophysiology and Behavior Testing Facility

 描述（由申请人提供）：非人灵长类动物（NHP）在高级脑功能的基础和转化研究中占据重要地位，代表了一种模型系统，允许在复杂行为的背景下直接，高分辨率测量和操纵脑机制。在其他机构因成本和其他限制而缩小NHP研究规模之际，宾夕法尼亚大学（Penn）正在对这项研究做出强有力、持久的承诺。该提案的总体目标是改善动物福利和人类职业健康，同时加速影响高级脑功能的神经发育和神经精神疾病的基础和转化研究。这是通过创建一个共享的NHP神经生理学和行为设施（NHP-NBF）来实现的，该设施将提供增强的群体社会化富集，食物富集，检疫和住房区域。NHP-NBF的工作将结合多个资金充足的研究人员与互补的研究计划，研究灵长类动物大脑的高级功能，包括感知，认知，行动和决策。重要的是，G20改造支持将通过提供以下设施大大提高宾夕法尼亚大学的动物福利：（1）一个专门的社会化富集室;（2）一个专门的灵长类动物环境富集计划食物准备区;（3）一个专门的NHP检疫室，允许协调动物的进口和驯化，并提高工作人员和NHP的安全性;及（4）增设宿舍，以取代现有宿舍，从而加强员工的安全，并协助应付获资助研究的学额需求。G20资助的富集计划的改进对设施中的NHP特别重要，因为与参与许多其他类型研究的动物不同，许多NHP在设施中有很长的居住时间，并且预计将定期执行具有挑战性的行为任务。通过加强社会和食物丰富计划来减轻压力和改善NHP的整体福祉，通过增加动物的健康，寿命和生产力，为动物和宾夕法尼亚大学的研究计划提供了实质性的价值。翻修后的区域将满足或超过实验室动物护理和使用指南（ILAR，2011）中规定的现代要求，并由AAALAC、USDA和OLAW解释，并且是对整体建筑项目的补充，将减少能源利用。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Non-human primates (NHPs) occupy a vital niche in basic and translational studies of higher brain function, representing a model system that allows for direct, high-resolution measurements and manipulations of brain mechanisms in the context of complex behaviors. At a time when other institutions are downsizing NHP research because of cost and other constraints, the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is making a strong, lasting commitment to this research. The overall goal of this proposal is to improve animal welfare and occupational human health, with the added simultaneous benefit of accelerating basic and translation research in neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders that affect high-level brain function. This is accomplished by creating a shared NHP Neurophysiology and Behavior Facility (NHP-NBF) that will provide enhanced group socialization enrichment, food enrichment, quarantine, and housing areas. Work in the NHP- NBF will coalesce multiple well-funded investigators with complementary research programs that examine high-level functions of the primate brain, including perception, cognition, action and decision-making. Importantly, G20 renovation support will substantially enhance animal welfare at Penn by providing: (1) a dedicated socialization enrichment room; (2) a dedicated food preparation area for the primate environmental enrichment program; (3) a dedicated NHP quarantine room that will allow coordinated importation and acclimation of animals and improve safety for staff and NHPs; and (4) an additional housing room to decompress current housing rooms, thereby enhancing staff safety and to help meet the capacity demand of funded research. The G20-funded enhancements in the enrichment program are particularly important for the NHPs in the facility because, unlike animals involved in many other types of research, many of the NHPs have very long residencies in the facility and are expected to perform challenging behavioral tasks on a regular basis. Reducing stress and improving the overall well-being of NHPs via enhanced social and food enrichment programs provide substantial value to the animals and to Penn's research programs by increasing the animal's health, longevity, and productivity. The renovated areas will meet or exceed modern requirements, as stated in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (ILAR, 2011) and as interpreted by AAALAC, the USDA and OLAW, and is complementary to an overall building project that will reduce energy utilization.