This application requests support for construction of a permanent facility for housing, breeding and care of genetically engineered (transgenic and knockout) and immuno-compromised rodents. The facility will be located in a new research building being designed by the UTHSC-H. UTHSC-H Investigators hold approximately $100 million (total costs) of active National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funding for studies involving animals, and $7 million in yearly direct costs for active and pending studies with specialized mice. Tropical Storm Allison totally destroyed the Animal Care Center that housed most of the animals used for this research. Tragically, hundreds of animals drowned. To prevent this from ever happening again, the proposed facility will be on the top floor of a new nine-story building. The new building will have enclosed connections to the UTHSC-H Medical School and Institute for Molecular Medicine Buildings, so that it will support the work of investigators in all three buildings. The proposed facility will contain 5,945 sq. ft., including a large barrier suite, for genetically engineered and immuno-comprised rodents. It will occupy roughly half a floor devoted exclusively to animal care and accommodate up to 11,000 animals. The facility will be under the control of the Center for Laboratory Animal Medicine and Care (CLAMC), which manages and operates all animal care and use activities at the UTHSC-H. The CLAMC was initially accredited by the AAALAC International in 1978 and remains fully accredited today. The Director of the CLAMC reports directly to the Executive Vice President for Research of the UTHSC-H.
