IMPROVING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR ANIMALS AND STAFF

New York University School Of Medicine, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): Matching funds are requested to improve and assure environmental quality for animal and staff in the Berg Facility (BCAF) and the Skirball Animal Facility (SCAF). According to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, one of the most important criteria for research animal facilities and animal care programs is the ability to maintain control of the research animal?s environment. Another criterion is the ability to provide a safe and hospitable environment for personnel. The facility improvements projects included in this application will help to fulfill both criteria. The scope of the proposed work will include: 1) installing air-conditioning to maintain a hospitable work environment in the BCAF cage sanitation room; 2) installing an automatic autonomous environmental monitoring and alarm system for the BCAF to assure the proper maintenance of environmental conditions in the animal rooms; 3) providing emergency power adequate to maintain all environmental conditions in the BCAF animal rooms; and 4) upgrading the lighting system in the SCAF animal rooms to provide uniform illumination levels through the room that are adequate for the maintenance of circadian rhythms and proper observation of the animals in the cages. Providing a hospitable work environment will not only contribute to the maintenance of an adequate animal care program, it is the right thing to do for the staff. In addition, failure to make the necessary environment related improvements could seriously jeopardize animal research productivity and animal welfare, the vast majority of which is PHS-funded. For example, in the last completed fiscal year there were a total of 224 applications involving animal housed in one or both of the two facilities with a total funding of, about $32 million, 83 percent of which was PHS-funding.