In order to complete the final major phase of an ongoing comprehensive centralization and multimillion dollar renovation and expansion of the TUSVM's laboratory animal facilities and program, a state-of-the-art 6,000 sq. ft. rodent and rabbit housing facility, including a biocontainment suite, surgical suite, procedure rooms, cage sanitization area and a quarantine/isolation suite, is being developed by renovating the ground floor of Building 20. This facility is connected by dedicated improved interior corridors to two other adjoining laboratory animal facilities and will service 10,000 sq. ft. of new research laboratory space as well as the full-service AAVLD-accredited Tufts Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Upon completion of this facility, all of the TUSVM laboratories and research animal holding facilities will be consolidated at this core location on the TUSVM Central New England Campus and will allow the TUSVM to eliminate the use of all remaining contracted satellite facilities and semi-portable trailers. It will also enable the TUSVM, the fifth best extramurally- funded veterinary school in the nation, to continue to expand its research efforts which are currently growing at 35% per year, and establish itself as the transgenic animal research center for the New England biomedical community. Funds are being requested to defray a portion of the costs of total renovation of Building 20 ground floor space into a laboratory animal facility by sharing the cost of 1) upgrading the HVAC system and 2) improving the floor surfaces with a seamless poured epoxy floor, and cost- sharing the purchase of 1) a pass-through high-vacuum steam sterilizer, 2) HEPA-filtered laminar airflow workstations and waste management equipment and 3) animal housing equipment. In addition, we request funds to share the cost of a rackwasher to be located in the adjoining Building 21 equipment sanitization room designed and constructed in 1989 to service the entire core research animal facility. The TUSVM has recently (November 1989) received full AAALAC accreditation as a component of the Tufts-New England Medical Center, Inc. program. However, T-NEMC goals differ from the TUSVM, and all of their facilities are located in Boston (over 50 miles away from the TUSVM Central New England Campus). Therefore, upon completion of this facility, and the consolidation of the TUSVM program, we plan to obtain separate AAALAC accreditation and USDA licensure.
