The objectives of this proposal are to assist the University in improving its animal resources in order to: (1) provide better and more efficient animal care; (2) support the increasingly sophisticated needs or ongoing research; (3) comply with animal care, use and welfare standards contained in the Public Health Service Animal Welfare Policy, the Federal Animal Welfare Act, and New York State Department of Health regulations; and (4) bring the entire University into the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care Program. Specifically, the proposed alterations and renovations will (1) develop a new 1500 square foot nonhuman primate care and use facility, (2) renovate an existing 4500 square foot animal facility for housing and use of rabbits and rodents in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, and (3) develop an aseptic recovery surgical facility in the College of Arts and Science's Department of Psychology. Specifically, the equipment requested includes: (1) conventional caging for nonhuman primates, and microisolation cage units and laminar flow work stations for rodents; (2) high vacuum autoclaves essential to support the adventitious virus and other pathogen free rodent colonies; (3) isolation/containment cubicles for housing rodents while in metabolism cages; (4) a rackwasher and bottle filling station for one of the School of Medicine facilities; (5) automatic watering for the two renovated facilities; and (6) an autoclave and surgical light for the Psychology Surgical Facility. These proposed improvements, along with that are being or will be made by either the School of Medicine and Dentistry or Department of Psychology, will bring the entire University's facilities and programs up to contemporary standards will allow for application to AAALAC for all-University accreditation.
