The long-term objectives of this proposal are to enable Allegheny-Singer Research Institute (ASRI) to achieve and maintain the highest levels of animal are possible. To this end, a plan has been developed to meet the American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) standards and apply for accreditation. Part of this plan consists of improving specific aspects of the ASRI rodent facility by consolidating the facility into a newer, more secure location and by purchasing necessary equipment to achieve improved sanitation and ventilation. Presently, the ASRI rodent facility is located in two adjacent wings of the same floor. Most of the rodent facility is housed in the South Tower, the original hospital building built in 1930. The remainder of the rodent facility is located in the newer East Wing, which, because of its capacity for modern utilities and fewer access points, is a natural site for centralizing the entire rodent facility.
The specific aims of the proposed project are to implement phase II of the long-range plan to migrate the entire rodent facility to the East Wing. Phase I, which was funded by an NIH Animal Resource Improvement grant, involved developing space in the East Wing for an automatic cage washing facility and food/cage storage rooms. Phase II funds are requested to renovate space in the East Wing for animal rooms and ancillary support functions and to provide the necessary macro- and micro-environmental control systems. These improvements will result in a facility that meets, if not exceeds, current ventilation and sanitation standards in a more spacious, consolidated and secure environment that includes much needed quarantine, necropsy, and procedure rooms. Consequently, the likelihood of disease in rodent colonies and confounded research results will be reduced. Once the new, centralized rodent facility is completed, ASRI will apply for AAALAC accreditation. In sum, the proposed project is a necessary component of an organized plan to assure compliance with federal regulations and to improve the centralized program of animal care.
