The Animal Core provides services to all four projects, since each project proposes to utilizemice as experimental models.Dr. Kylie Kavanagh, Core Leader, will oversee the duties of this core to assure that all neededanimal care is made readily available to each project. All aspects of surgery, postsurgical care andanimal husbandry will be coordinated through Dr. Kavanagh with the staff of the specific projectinvolved and assistance by Paul Sikoski, DVM, Director of the Animal Facility in BRF-1, and Dr. JanWagner, DVM Director of the WFUHS Animal Resources Program. Several post-DVM fellows as wellas three veterinary technicians will assist the veterinarians in care of program project animals.Surgical protocols have been utilized successfully during the last five year program project cycle afterbeing generated with the input of Dr. Rudel and veterinary staff and needed oversight is through theircollaborative efforts.In addition to surgery, technical services provided by the core staff will include blood collection,routine health measurements including regular body weight measurements, quantitative fecalcollections when required, and oversight of all breeding activities and housing needs in collaborationwith the animal care staff. A technician familiar with the experimental protocols related to eachproject has been assigned by project, and this technical staff member will be responsible for thespecific duties for that project. This group of technicians will benefit from interacting with Dr.Kavanagh and with other experienced staff members to make the husbandry aspects of the entireprogram project more efficient. In many cases, the diets to be fed to the mice are made especially forthe individual project, and the technical staff of the core will provide the liason function between theproject, the diet kitchen, and the Diet Analysis laboratory that provides quality control assays,assuring timely delivery of diet.
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