Behavioral neuroscience is a key focus and priority area of Rockefeller investigators. In 2006 the University made a commitment to significantly invest in and enhance the infrastructure for rodent behavior research. The construction of the 32,356 sq ft Comparative Bioscience Center (CBC) Annex building was completed in December, 2009 at a cost of $36 million. This three and a half story building is strategically adjacent to a five story 97,000 sq ft centralized vivarium, making the CBC Annex contiguous with the centralized vivarium. The Rockefeller University (RU) requests funds to establish specialized mouse housing immediately adjacent to a rodent Behavioral Phenotyping Core (BPC) facility within the newly constructed CBC Annex building. This specialized mouse housing space will be dedicated for housing mice used in behavioral studies. The housing environment is designed to eliminate variables such as noise to allow higher quality mouse behavioral studies. The CBC Annex was built and designed to alleviate the following three deficiencies adversely impacting neuroscience laboratories conducting rodent behavior research. The CBC Annex offers: 1) critically needed space for a BPC facility, enabling laboratories to expand and enhance their rodent behavior studies;2) dedicated rodent behavior space to eliminate environmental variables such as noise that has hampered and negatively impacted current research within the centralized vivarium;and 3) critically needed space to expand mouse colonies to meet the current and growing demands of behavioral neuroscientists. The 3rd floor of the CBC Annex now has an established BPC facility containing rodent behavior equipment that occupies 15 rodent behavior procedure rooms totaling 2,024 sq. ft. of testing space. Funds are sought to increase housing capacity for mice, designated for behavior studies, within the 3rd floor of the CBC Annex directly adjacent to the BPC facility. Specifically, funds are requested for the following: 1) To purchase and install ventilated caging equipment to house 2,660 mouse cages within a 1,884 net sq ft mouse holding room directly adjacent to the BPC facility, which will be used to maintain mice undergoing behavioral studies in the BPC. 2) To establish a germ-free mouse housing facility, also adjacent to the BPC facility, to allow studies examining the influence of gut microbiota on mouse behavior and central nervous system function. These funds will augment the University's clear commitment and investment in building the CBC Annex to enhance the strong rodent behavior research programs at The Rockefeller University.
