Modernization of Salk's ABSL2 Facilities Through the Incorporation of Ventilated Caging

项目总结 这是一项对索尔克研究所的小鼠动物生物安全2级(ABSL2)设施进行现代化改造的提案 生物学研究：用单独通风的笼架取代陈旧的静态笼架。 连同拟议对ABSL2动物拘留室的翻新，这将使笼子容量增加一倍，并 提高运营效率，以减少动物压力，并提高 实验结果。在索尔克的常规研究动物设施(CRAF)内有一个ABSL2套间，它 包括一个220英尺2英寸的动物拘留室。这个休息室目前由三个小隔间组成 紧挨着一个公共空间。每个隔间都有一个双面搁板单元，可以容纳 至112个静态鼠笼，最多可容纳336个鼠笼。考虑到大量的实验室 使用这个空间的人(54名Salk教职员工中的33人)，这个设施通常有80%的产能，实验室不得不推迟 学习，直到有空间可用。拟议的项目拆除了隔间并安装了高密度 Allentown NexGen Max机架。增加的可用楼面空间将容纳3个双面机架(192个 每个机笼)和1个单面机架(96个机笼)，使容量增加一倍，达到672个机笼。建议数 现代化还将改善生活条件，减少老鼠所经历的压力，从而有助于 促进索尔克研究的严谨性和可重复性。不通风的笼子与糟糕的空气质量有关。 并且需要频繁更换笼子，导致对老鼠的更大处理和对老鼠的更高水平的压力 动物。由于索尔克的湿度很高，笼子经常必须每周更换两次。正在切换到 通风笼养可将更换笼子的间隔时间延长至10-14天。此外，拟议的楼层平面图 最大限度地减少需要滚动机架才能接触到鼠标，从而减少了鼠标暴露在噪音和振动中。 因此，现代化的CRAF ABSL2套件的一个关键特征是减少了非试验性畜牧业 可能会影响研究结果的变量。最后，对这个设施的改进是一个研究所 优先事项，因为鼠标ABSL2工作是研究所未来研究工作的中心，包括 癌症生物学、神经科学和衰老。这些项目中的每个项目的研究人员都使用并经常开发， 尖端技术，需要ABSL2设施来定位和操作特定类型的 老鼠模型。索尔克长期致力于这些研究工作和相关的小鼠ABSL2工作 反映在致力于征服癌症、神经科学和健康老龄化的筹款活动中。在支持中 在这些研究优先事项中，本提案寻求：1)将CRAF ABSL2套间内的静态笼子替换为 最先进的IVC机架，2)增加ABSL2套件中的保持架容量，以满足 可预见的未来，以及3)通过最大限度地减少对小鼠ABSL2的研究 动物压力。这一极大改进的鼠标ABSL2共享资源将使Solk研究人员能够继续 他们的开创性研究对广泛的科学领域产生了如此巨大的影响。

PROJECT SUMMARY This is a proposal to modernize mouse Animal Biosafety Level 2 (ABSL2) facilities at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies by replacing antiquated static cages with racks of individually ventilated cages (IVCs). Together with proposed renovations to the ABSL2 animal holding room, this will double cage capacity and enable operational efficiencies that reduce animal stress and improve the rigor and reproducibility of experimental outcomes. Within Salk’s Conventional Research Animal Facility (CRAF) is an ABSL2 suite, which includes a 220-ft2 animal holding room. This holding room is currently comprised of three small cubicles adjoined to a common space. Each cubicle holds one double-sided shelving unit capable of accommodating up to 112 static mouse cages, for a maximum of 336 cages in the holding room. Given the large number of labs who utilize this space (33 of 54 Salk faculty), this facility is often at >80% capacity and labs have had to delay studies until space becomes available. The proposed project removes the cubicles and installs high-density Allentown NexGen MAX racks. The increased useable floorspace will accommodate 3 double-sided racks (192 cages each) and 1 single-sided rack (96 cages), doubling the capacity to 672 cages. The proposed modernization will also improve living conditions and reduce stress experienced by the mice, thereby helping to promote rigor and reproducibility of Salk research. Non-ventilated cages are associated with poor air quality and require frequent cage changing, resulting in greater handling of the mice and higher levels of stress for the animals. Because humidity levels are so high at Salk, cages often must be changed twice a week. Switching to ventilated caging will extend the time between cage changes to 10–14 days. Further, the proposed floor plan minimizes the need to roll racks to access mice, thereby reducing mouse exposure to noise and vibration. Thus, a critical feature of the modernized CRAF ABSL2 suite is a reduction in non-experimental husbandry variables that could potentially affect research results. Finally, improvements to this facility are an Institute priority, as mouse ABSL2 work is at the center of the Institute’s future research endeavors, which include cancer biology, neuroscience, and aging. Researchers within each of these programs use, and often develop, cutting-edge technologies that require ABSL2 facilities to target and manipulate specific cell types within mouse models. Salk’s long-term commitment to these research efforts and associated mouse ABSL2 work is reflected in fundraising initiatives dedicated to conquering cancer, neuroscience, and healthy aging. In support of these research priorities, this proposal seeks to: 1) replace static cages within the CRAF ABSL2 suite with state-of-the-art IVC racks, 2) increase cage capacity within the ABSL2 suite to meet research demands for the foreseeable future, and 3) enhance the rigor and reproducibility of mouse ABSL2 research by minimizing animal stress. This vastly improved mouse ABSL2 shared resource will enable Salk researchers to continue their ground-breaking research that has so dramatically impacted a wide range of scientific fields.