The Laboratory Animal Facility at the Fox Chase Cancer Center has provided excellent quality animal care and support to research investigators for many years, and has enjoyed Full Accreditation by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation for Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since its first application in 1969. Since that time, the institute and the animal research programs have grown significantly, with the successful integration of a newly renovated 5800 sq. ft. SPF Research Barrier facility and a newly created 1300 sq. ft. quarantine facility. Routine maintenance has been provided over the years with significant improvements to the physical structures, but the cage wash equipment has been in use for 20 years and is increasingly unreliable. Downtime for repairs and insurance of proper sanitation conditions has resulted in delays in the delivery of supplies to animal rooms and increased costs for maintenance and for overtime salaries of animal care staff. The continuing expansion of the animal care program necessitates the modernization of this function with more efficient and reliable equipment. We are therefore requesting funds for two tunnel washers, one rack washer, one bedding dispenser and one bottle filling station. The number of mouse cages used in funded research has increased 115% since 1999 and has filled the animal holding facility to capacity at the present time; an annual increase of 18% is projected for the future. The systematic purchase of high-density microisolator racks has begun but the current rate of purchase is inadequate to meet the increasing rodent population. In order to provide cage level protection to the important research animals maintained in the immunodeficient animal research barrier and increase the research rodent population funding is requested for four additional ventilated caging units and two HEPA filtered change hoods. These will be a major step in an overall plan to improve the quality and increase the quantity of housing for research rodents.
