The objectives of this grant request are the upgrading and improvement of the laboratory animal facility at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and the provision of needed items of equipment to provide proper care and maintenance of research animals to better support ongoing biomedical research.
The specific aims are to resurface the floors in the present facility, renovate the tunnel type cagewasher and to provide new equipment to include caging, sterilizer and flushing capability for the automatic watering system. The Southern Illinois University of School of Medicine has continuously provided funds for the operation and improvement of the research animal facility and a new facility under construction is expected to be completed in October, 1987. The new facility will add approximately 6,600 square feet of new research animal space which will be contiguous to that of the present main animal facility. At the time of occupation of the new facility the two currently operated satellite facilities will be closed. The animal facility will then be a modern, efficient, high quality facility situated at a single location. Funding is currently not available from the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine for the required renovations and equipment purchase. Therefore, this request is being submitted. The renovations and equipment are needed to maintain the health of the animals, to improve efficiency of operations and to provide additional animal caging for ongoing research.
