Animal Facilities

The ECDOI animal research facility has four holding rooms and two procedure rooms to accommodate animal research on the 4th floor of ECHI. Three of the four holding rooms are used to house laboratory mice. These facilities are maintained by the Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) staff. Each room and all cages are checked daily by the DCM staff.

The ECDOI facility is a temporary holding facility only. All investigators must have a permanent holding location assigned by the DCM for all animals to be able to use the ECDOI facility. DCM charges the same per animal fee for all animal holding no matter the location. Animals can only be held at the ECDOI facility for a maximum of 2 months, subject to availability. Priority will be given to investigators using animals with equipment located on the 4th floor of ECHI.

Animal Holding Rooms
Mice – ECHI 4313A, 4313B, 4313D, 4313E

Procedure Rooms
ECHI 4313C, 4313F

Animal Food and Bedding
ECHI 4315

Transfers

All animal transfers from permanent holding facility to the ECDOI temporary facility must be documented on the inventory sheets at the time of transfer. This includes subtracting from former location and adding to the new location.

Animals transfers to the ECDOI facility are treated as `one way’ transfers. No animals or material from ECDOI should be taken to the permanent holding facility or animal rooms in Brody/LSB (unless prior approval and instructions from DCM are followed). Animals at the ECDOI facility must be kept in the same health status as the permanent holding location. No animals will be allowed to be transferred from a “dirty” location to a “clean” location.

To transfer animals contact Aaron Hinkle at least 48 hours before the transfer needs to occur.

If only a small number of animals needs to be moved, you can bring them over yourself as long as the following procedures are obeyed.

All transport must use the ECDOI freight elevator

Animals must be secured in a primary container with access to food and water. Disposable cartons are available in the Brody basement facility to avoid using cages.
The primary container must be secured in a secondary container to conceal the transport. The animals must be completely covered and protected form the weather. There is a red and black cart with lockable doors in ECHI 4315 that can be used to transport secondary containers. This cart must be sanitized after each use.

Cages

Clean cages, bedding, water and all other resources are located in 4315. Do not remove dirty cages from the holding rooms. Leave on the shelf for pickup.

Access

The animal facility requires OneCard to access. In addition, the holding rooms require a key to enter. To obtain a key, contact ECDOI.

Working with animals

Biosafety cabinet in 4313F

Movable workstation is kept one of holding rooms.

Animal remains

A -20 C freezer located at 4300J is available for animal remain disposal. Please make sure to completely wrap and bag all remains properly. Facilities will come by to pick up these remains with biohazard waste weekly.