? The primary purpose of the Animal Facility Renovation is to provide researchers with the facilities for housing and maintaining the animals needed for their research. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is increasing the housing capacity at its Woodbury Animal Facility located at the Woodbury Genome Center by installing a high density housing system as a means of expanding its research scope in both cancer and neurobiology. Animal models are of great importance for the analysis of genes. With their help it is possible to set up models for the examination of gene expression and gene regulation. Genes may be specifically inactivated with animals (knock-out model), and the effect on the organism can be studied. By inserting an additional recombinant gene (transgene animal model), its expression and influence on the organism can be examined. The animal models CSHL utilizes are those for human diseases. With them it is possible for researchers to comprehend the molecular and biochemical basis of cancer, and diseases and conditions affecting the nervous system like autism, mental retardation, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and schizophrenia. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's long-term goal, which involves an expansion of our work using animal models, is to explore research paths that directly impact human health by leading to better diagnostic tools and medical therapies. ? ? The Animal Facilities at CSHL are fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and the animals are maintained in accordance with the National Research Council's Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. ? ? ?
