Steam Sterilizer for Given Building Animal Facility

描述(由申请人提供)：该项目寻求增加第二个更大的蒸汽灭菌器，以给定的研究动物设施在佛蒙特州大学(UVM)。该大学有一个资金充足的生物医学研究项目，重点领域是免疫学、肺部病理学、心脏病学、肿瘤学和内分泌学等。自从2003年健康科学研究设施(HSRF)的屏障小鼠设施投入使用以来，转基因和免疫缺陷小鼠模型的使用急剧增加，HSRF现在拥有UVM的转基因小鼠核心设施。在过去的六年里，密歇根州立大学的研究动物普查几乎翻了一番，增加的完全是啮齿动物。HSRF设施毗邻给定的设施，这两个设施共同构成了校园内的中央研究动物设施。虽然HSRF设施只有一个24“x 36”x 60“蒸汽灭菌器，但这台机器目前每周使用约60小时。第二个灭菌器位于给定设施的中央笼子洗涤区附近，将显著提高劳动效率，并在高压灭菌器能力方面提供重要的冗余。为新的36”x 48“x 72”灭菌器确定的空间是一个未得到充分利用的区域，现在由一个废弃的火葬场占据。出于对火葬场运营的环境问题的关注，香港大学选择与一家动物身体处理服务公司签订合同，以清除动物身体和生物危害。因此，拆除火葬场并更换现代蒸汽消毒器将使动物设施内有限的空间得到更好的利用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project seeks to add a second larger steam sterilizer to the Given research animal facility at the University of Vermont (UVM). The University has a well-funded biomedical research program with focus areas in immunology, lung pathology, cardiology, oncology and endocrinology, among others. Since the commissioning of a barrier mouse facility in the Health Sciences Research Facility (HSRF) in 2003, the use of transgenic and immunocompromised mouse models has increased dramatically, and the HSRF now houses UVM's Transgenic Mouse Core facility. The research animal census at UVM has nearly doubled in the past six years, the increase consisting entirely of rodents. The HSRF facility is adjacent to the Given facility and the two together constitute the Central Research Animal Facility on the campus. While the HSRF facility contains a single 24" x 36" x 60" steam sterilizer, this machine currently is in use approximately 60 hours/week. A second sterilizer, located adjacent to the central cage washing area in the Given facility, would allow significant improvements in labor efficiency and provide important redundancy in autoclave capacity. The space identified for the new 36" x 48" x 72" sterilizer is an underutilized area, now occupied by a decommissioned crematorium. Because of environmental concerns surrounding the operation of this crematorium, the University has elected to contract with a disposal service for removal of animal carcasses and biohazards. Hence, removal of the crematorium and replacement with a modern steam sterilizer will allow improved utilization of the limited space within the animal facilities.