The National Cancer Institute (NCI) administers a program to produce laboratory animals in support of many NCI/NIH cancer research activities. These include NIH on-campus laboratories, NCI/NIH-funded research contractors, NCI/NIH-funded grantees, other governmental agencies as well as collaborators in foreign countries. The Animal Production Program is managed by the Biological Testing Branch (BTB), Developmental Therapeutics Program (DTP), Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD). The production of genetically-defined and pathogen-free laboratory animals requires strict barrier building and isolator operations to provide the required quality of animals. The quality of this effort is of critical importance in order to minimize variables within experimental studies. The production of the highest quality rodents free from pathogenic organisms is the primary objective of this effort. Animals are provided to support research in the cause and treatment of cancer, infectious disease, bioterrorism threat and other nationally recognized health issues.
