Rodent Caging Improvement at University of Pittsburgh

匹兹堡大学生物医学科学塔（BST）和南生物医学科学塔（S-BST）的动物设施平均每天对61，000多只啮齿动物进行普查，以支持超过113个PHS资助的生物医学和行为研究项目。这意味着小灵通每年的直接费用投资超过2 500万美元。其中，每年710万美元的直接费用用于支持使用BST和S-BST中饲养的大鼠的研究。保护这些啮齿动物群体免受传染病的侵害，对于确保匹兹堡大学动物研究项目的持续成功和生产力至关重要。因此，本申请资金的具体目的是：获得资金购买通风微型隔离器笼系统和HEPA过滤层流动物转移站，用于匹兹堡大学南生物医学科学塔的大鼠群。提出这一具体目标，以提高整体健康状况的鼠群在匹兹堡大学通过传染病预防和通过生物遏制在传染病爆发的情况下。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Animal facilities in the Biomedical Science Tower (BST) and the South Biomedical Science Tower (S-BST) at the University of Pittsburgh house an average daily census of more than 61,000 rodents in support of more than 113 PHS-funded biomedical and behavioral research projects. This represents an investment by the PHS of more than $25 million in annual direct costs. Of that amount, $7.1 million in annual direct costs supports research that uses rats housed in the BST and S-BST. Protection of these rodent colonies from communicable diseases is crucial to ensuring the continued success and productivity of the animal-based research programs at the University of Pittsburgh. Thus, the specific aim of this application for funding is: To obtain funds to purchase ventilated micro-isolator caging systems and HEPA-filtered laminar flow animal transfer stations for rat colonies housed in the South Biomedical Science Tower at the University of Pittsburgh. This specific aim is proposed to enhance the overall health status of rat colonies at the University of Pittsburgh through communicable disease prevention and through biocontainment in the event of an infectious disease outbreak.