Developing and Improving Institutional Animal Resources

The Animal Resource Program at MIT represents a vital resource that is central to the various biomedical research missions of the Institute. This proposal seeks funds to replace aged cage washers and autoclaves in the Building 68 animal facility in a manner consistent with current NIH and AAALAC standards. Building 68 is a critical component of the centralized MIT Animal Resource Program that encompasses 185,000 gsf of space housing 98,000 animals on a daily basis. The following specific aims are documented in this proposal. Specific Aim 1 Purchase and install two Better Built Model SW6300PT cage and rack washers, two C550 cage and bottle washers and one Better Built Model T224 tunnel washer with a bedding dispenser unit to replace existing 20 year old cage washers. Specific Aim 2 Purchase and install two consolidated autoclaves for 68 North and for 68 South and a Consolidated Model SR-24D-ADVPRO autoclave for the BL2 facility in 68 South to replace existing 20 year old units. The specific improvements are directly related to the long term goal of MIT's Animal Resource Program, which is to provide the best possible environment for scientific inquiry supported by NIH and other sources, concurrently maintain AAALAC accreditation, and ensure the highest standards of humane care and use of laboratory animals.