This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.The Animal Resource Module provides the highest quality of animal care by an American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS)-certified technician who assists in animal surgery, antibody production, and electroretinography (mice, rats, frogs, and rabbits). The ease of accessability of this module and wide expertise of the technician will ensure that experiments involving animals will becarried out in a highly skilled and efficient manner. This module is especially amenable to pilot studies involving animals. The capacity and efficiency of maintenance of animals will be dramatically increasedthrough this grant by providing an entire room with microisolation racks and cages (Maximum of 1350 mice) for use by the PJl's. These cages will enable multiple strains of mice to be kept in their own environment in the same room without the risk of cross contamination with infectious agents. With an increased demand on the facilities, an additional animal care technician is sought and a new large pass-through cage/rack washer has been requested. These racks/cages will also require the renovation of the water supply system toaccommodate automated direct connection of water to each rack and each cage. In addition an 'Environmental monitoring system' is sought to regulate the lighting, temperature, humidity, the number of air changes, senses water leaks and maintains the acid pH to prevent the buildup of biofilms in the watering system. Low tech but high importance is the replacement of the old doors and frames with chemicalresistant fiberglass. All of the PJl's projects will involve the use of animals and will greatly benefit from direct access to their animals within the Dean McGee Eye Institute. The absence of per diem charges allows them to maintain a large number as well as a variety of transgenic lines, knock outs, natural mutants, and production strains of mice. The services provided will also free up their time to focus on achieving their objectives and less on the maintenance of the mice. The increased demands placed on the animal core facility by the increase in the number of animals and PJrs can be readily accommodated by the personnel, equipment and modifications requested in this application and this in turn will result in a dramatic increase in vision research in Oklahoma.
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