Improving the Fox Chase Cancer Center Animal Resources

描述(由申请人提供)：Fox Chase癌症中心的实验动物设施为研究人员提供出色的动物护理和使用支持，自1969年首次申请以来，已获得国际实验动物护理评估与认可协会(AAALAC)的全面认证。从那时起，研究所和动物研究项目有了显著的增长，但动物设施的足迹几乎没有扩大或增长。现在它已经满了，而且人满为患，设施必须扩建和/或对笼子技术进行重大改变。使用和饲养的动物绝大多数是研究用小鼠，其中许多是转基因和免疫受损的，需要无病的饲养设施和程序。2005年，我们开始了一项长期计划，系统地将标准笼架和机架转换为高密度通风机架。仅这一步就将使我们在现有占地面积内的持有量增加近80%。我们已经尽可能地整合和减少繁育老鼠，为研究老鼠提供更多的空间，并在2006年2月改装了一个以前的啮齿动物繁殖翼(3000平方米。英国《金融时报》)在二楼进入障碍研究区，进行转基因和免疫缺陷小鼠的研究。我们已承担机构拨款，翻新和提升该侧翼的空气处理系统，并在入口处安装高压灭菌器(将于2008年夏末竣工)，并已购置高密度通风笼子和架子，以在二楼区域额外容纳1760只研究老鼠。接下来，我们将注意力转向三楼的研究鼠标障碍区。我们已经获得资金，将该地区约一半的面积改建为高密度机架和笼子，目前正在进行改造。现在需要为这一地区提供13个双面高密度HEPA过滤通风机架(每个可容纳180个鼠笼)、9个单面HEPA过滤高密度通风机架(每个可容纳90个鼠笼)和8个HEPA过滤换气站，以便满足Fox Chase越来越多地使用转基因研究鼠的需要。这些高密度的笼子将使这一地区的研究老鼠库存增加1750个，并将完成这个三楼区域向高密度通风笼子和机架的转换。这将是我们长期计划的重要一步，以满足受资助的研究人员在其研究中使用转基因和免疫缺陷小鼠的日益增长的需求，以及其他内部修改，对于满足福克斯大通到2012年年中的预期需求至关重要。我们还开始了一个新的、更大的设施的长期规划，作为福克斯大通增长和扩张五年计划的一部分。 这些笼子目前是必不可少的，将立即使用，并可在未来随着我们的扩张而在任何新设施中使用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Laboratory Animal Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) provides excellent animal care and use support to research investigators and has enjoyed full accreditation by The Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since its first application in 1969. Since that time the Institute and Animal Research Programs have grown significantly, but there has been little expansion or growth in the footprint of the animal facility. It is now filled to capacity and overcrowded, and the facility must expand and/or make major changes in caging technology. The great majority of animals used and housed are research mice, many of which are transgenic and immunocompromised and require disease free housing facilities and procedures. In 2005 we began a long range plan to systematically convert standard caging and racks to high density ventilated racks. This step alone will increase our holding capacity by almost 80% within the existing footprint. We have consolidated and reduced breeding mice as much as possible to make more space available for research mice and in February 2006 converted a former rodent breeding wing (3,000 sq. ft.) on the second floor into a barrier research area for transgenic and immunodeficient research mice. We have committed institutional funds for renovation and upgrading air handling to this wing and installation of an autoclave at the entry (to be completed in the late summer of 2008), and have purchased high density ventilated cages and racks to house an additional 1760 cages of research mice in this second floor area. We next turned our attention to the research mouse barrier area on the third floor. We have obtained funds to convert approximately one-half of this area to high density racks and cages, that conversion is going on. Funding is now requested for 13 double sided high density HEPA filtered ventilated racks (each housing 180 mouse cages), 9 single sided HEPA filtered high density ventilated racks (each holding 90 mouse cages), and 8 HEPA filtered change stations for this area so that the increasing use of transgenic research mice at Fox Chase can be accommodated. These high density cages will increase the research mouse inventory in this area by 1750 more cages and will complete the conversion of this third floor area to high density ventilated cages and racks. This will be a major step in our long-range plan to accommodate the growing need by funded research investigators for use of transgenic and immunocompromised mice in their research, and along with other internal modifications is critical to accommodate the expected need at Fox Chase through mid-2012. We have also begun longer-range planning for a new, larger facility as part of the Fox Chase five year plan for growth and expansion. These cages are essential at this time and will be used immediately, and can be used in any new facility in the future as our expansion continues.