Air Quality Improvements of The Animal Facility

简介（由申请人提供）：Schepens眼科研究所是哈佛医学院眼科下属的主要视觉研究中心。Schepens的任务是进行研究，以了解导致视觉功能障碍和失明的疾病的机制。为了实现这一目标，该学院使用并创建了各种实验动物模型，这些模型对于研究各种眼部疾病的发病机制和治疗至关重要。维持这些实验动物对这项研究的成功至关重要。因此，我们的动物设施必须符合最高标准，并提供一流的方案：住房，笼子，维护动物环境，并提供兽医护理。该应用程序支持对动物设施进行翻新，以改善：(i)加热，通风和空调（HVAC）系统，以及（ii）为啮齿动物提供特殊的笼子，以补充屏障/封闭住房。有两个具体的目标。目标1将为新安装的暖通空调25,000 cfm屋顶机组安装新的管道系统和百叶。该管道系统将提供：(i)更好的设施内空气控制和分配，（ii）改善动物房间的通风模式，以及（iii）更好地控制单个动物房间的温度和湿度。综合暖通空调和管道系统将为动物房间和设施内的区域提供正负压的日常维护。动物设施现有的西门子环境监测系统将适应新的空气分配系统。目标2将提供12个新的微通风鼠笼架，以最大限度地利用动物住房空间，并改善笼子内和周围房间的空气质量。由于这些改进，舍本斯动物护理和使用计划的运作方式将超出《实验室动物护理和使用指南》的许多规定。这将显著提高Schepens学院进行的视觉研究的质量。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Schepens Eye Research Institute is a major center for vision research affiliated with the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School. The mission of The Schepens is to conduct research that will lead to understanding the mechanisms of diseases that cause visual dysfunction and blindness. In order to achieve this goal, the faculty uses and creates a variety of laboratory animal models that are essential for studying the pathogenesis and treatment pf a diverse group of ocular diseases. Maintaining these laboratory animals is vital to the success of this research. For this reason, our animal facility must conform to the highest standards and provide a first-rate program for: housing, caging, maintaining the animal environment, and providing veterinary medical care. This application supports renovations to the Animal Facility that improve: (i) the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and (ii) provide special caging for rodents that will compliment the barrier/containment housing. There are 2 specific aims. Aim 1 will install new ductwork and louvers for the newly installed HVAC 25,000 cfm rooftop unit. This duct system will provide: (i) better air control and distribution within the facility, (ii) improved ventilation patterns in animal rooms, and (iii) better control of temperature and humidity in individual animal rooms. The combined HVAC and duct system will provide routine maintenance of positive and negative pressure within animal rooms and zones within the facility. The Animal Facility's existing Siemens Environmental Monitoring System will be adapted to the new air distribution system. Aim 2 will provide 12 new Micro-ventilated mouse cage racks that will maximize the use of animal housing space, and improve air quality within cages and surrounding rooms. As a result of these improvements, the animal care and use program at The Schepens will operate in a manner that exceeds many provisions of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. This will significantly improve the quality of vision research conducted by the Faculty at the Schepens.