Expansion of Rodent Biocontainment at the University of Missouri

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目申请50万美元，用于增加密苏里-哥伦比亚大学的啮齿动物生物控制住房容量。兽医学院兽医病理生物学系和医学院分子微生物学与免疫学系不断扩大的传染病研究项目，对增加啮齿动物生物防护住房产生了迫切的需求。此外，校园内的区域生物控制实验室（RBL）计划于今年开放；将需要更多的动物生物安全等级2 （ABSL-2）空间来支持在RBL中进行的ABSL-3研究。目前，只有一个啮齿动物生物防护套件可用，位于兽医学院。该项目需要资金翻新现有的动物饲养空间，并购买和安装设备，将啮齿动物的生物控制住房容量从160净平方英尺的250个笼子扩大到742净平方英尺的991个笼子（增加400%）（增加464%）。通过此申请改造的空间将用于饲养实验性感染啮齿类病原体或潜在人类病原体的啮齿动物或接受ABSL-2级异种移植的啮齿动物。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project requests $500,000 to increase rodent biocontainment housing capacity at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Expanding infectious disease research programs in the Departments of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, and Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, have created a critical need for additional rodent biocontainment housing. Also, the Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) on campus is scheduled to open this year; more Animal Biosafety Level 2 (ABSL-2) space will be needed to support the ABSL-3 research conducted in the RBL. At present there is only one rodent biocontainment suite available, located in the College of Veterinary Medicine. This project requests funds to renovate existing vivarium space and to purchase and install equipment which will expand biocontainment housing capacity for rodents from 250 cages in 160 net square feet to a total of 991 cages (~400% increase) in 742 net square feet (464% increase). The space renovated by this application will be used to house rodents experimentally infected with either rodent pathogens or potential human pathogens or rodents receiving xenografts, at the ABSL-2 level. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): Biocontainment space is needed to safely study infectious organisms such as Streptococcus Group A, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, and Listeria monocytogenes, all of which can infect humans, causing such diseases as strep throat, impetigo, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome; miscarriage, hydrocephalus and other birth defects; and food-borne illness.