? Alterations and Renovations The Proposed Center for Transformative Research in Metabolism will be the first biomedical research center in the US to adopt hibernation as a model of natural adaptations in metabolism as an approach to solve complex clinical problems in the treatment of metabolic disease. Until now UA investigators have relied on wild, live- trapped animals. However, Arctic Squirrel Hepatitis is endemic in the wild population with a prevalence of 70 to 80 percent. Needed is a breeding facility to produce hepatitis free animals. We propose to renovate space located within the UAF Large Animal Research Station (LARS) to meet the needs of a breeding facility. Our short-term goal is to produce sufficient numbers of animals to meet the needs of the Center's investigators and collaborators who's work increases the rigor, reproducibility and scientific premise of the Center's research and thus contributes to competitive grant applications. Our long-term goal is to make AGS and AGS tissues available for broad investigation of mechanisms underlying metabolic adaptations of hibernation and of translation of these mechanisms into therapies. Once the proposed renovation is complete UAF's Animal Resource Center will implement a breeding program. Hepatitis free founders and subsequent individuals introduced into the colony will be identified by virus screening provided by Dr. Jack Chen, Director of the Virology Unit of the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory (APHL). To meet the research objectives of this proposal we will meet the following specific aims for renovation. SA1. Renovate space to meet all requirements of UAF's Animal Care Program. SA 2. Implement a comprehensive and economical approach to developing a functional space layout that addresses the program needs and complies with the requirements of the NIH COBRE Grant criteria. SA 3. Renovate existing space at the Large Animal Research Station (LARS) to meet the needs of the Center's new and junior investigators who use the arctic ground squirrel as a study species. Once completed, the renovation will meet the needs of the Center's investigators, without which, it will not be possible to enhance the ability of investigators to compete independently for complementary National Institutes of Health (NIH) individual research grants or other external peer-reviewed support.
