This application is a request for fixed and movable equipment to support the operation of a growing program dealing with immunity to opportunistic pathogens in immunocompromised animals. A dual-access autoclave with loading cars, microisolator animal cages and HEPA-filter cage-changing stations are needed for the following reasons: (1) To handle and sterilize contaminated cages and other materials generated from mice infected with various pathogens. NIH-funded studies currently in progress involve mice infected with: Pneumocystis carinii, Cryptococcus neoformans, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium avium and Listeria monocytogenes. Additional pathogens under study include: Salmonella typhimurium, Yersinia enterocolitica, Pneumococcus pneumoniae and Toxoplasma gondii. (2) To create a facility for breeding and holding severely immunocompromised mice. In order to accomadate increasing use of SCID mice, funds are requested for the purchase of microisolator cages, and HEPA-filtered changing stations. This facility would share the use of the dual-access autoclave described above.
