The University of Kentucky (UK) requests $500,000 toward a $1,144,973 project to equip four vacant rodent housing rooms in the vivarium of the new Biomedical/Biological Sciences Research Building (BBSRB) with individually ventilated caging. External research funding at UK has grown dramatically from $173.6 million in FY 01 to $290.4 million in FY 06. Explosive growth in the use of rodents, particularly transgenic and knockout rats and mice, has also created an urgent challenge to meet new demand for rodent housing and to accommodate the environmental needs of substantially greater populations of genetically modified rodents. Long-term project goals are 1) to support continued growth of biomedical research through expansion of quality animal resources and 2) to provide the highest quality environmental conditions possible for research animals.
Specific aims are 1) to expand rodent housing capacity in the BBSRB vivarium and 2) to enhance biosecurity and environmental quality for rodent populations in the BBSRB. This project will relieve overcrowded rodent housing conditions in other UK animal facilities; permit separation of transgenic breeding colonies from experimental animals; accommodate growth in GMR populations; and increase the percentage of rodents at UK housed in IVC caging. This last transition is seen as vital to improving health and environmental conditions for rodent populations. The urgent need to address the proposed aims is a result of a record of success during the last decade by UK to cultivate and grow a dynamic biomedical research enterprise. Anticipated outcomes are maintenance of high quality research and enhanced research productivity. ? ? ?
