Modern Equipment for Shared-use Biomedical Research Facilities: Advancing Research-Related Operations (S15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) - Project Summary/Abstract: The AAALAC, International accredited, University of Rochester requests this Equipment Grant funding to purchase a bulk, Gruenberg™ Dry Heat Sterilizer to double sterile mouse cage throughput to meet growing program needs as well as to reduce labor and utilities expenses. All mouse caging is sterilized before each use. Ultrafiltered (0.1 micron), municipal water is provided by the Hydropac™ system. Two separate, vivaria, Kornberg Medical Research Building KMRB (23,273 sq ft) and School of Medicine & Dentistry SMD (53,861 sq ft) each house approximately 9,000 autoclaved cages of SPF mice on HEPA-filtered, ventilated racks. The KMRB, built in 1999, modernized and doubled the University's mouse-based, research capacity by designing efficient use of suites adjacent to a modern cagewash and housing mice in seventy-five, labor-saving, HEPA-filtered, ventilated racks. The high throughput bulk, steam autoclave and tunnel washer in the KMRB met the needs of the new SPF mouse facility with intentional excess capacity for expansion into adjacent shell space. The SMD vivarium, built in 1965, originally met the needs of over 300 conventionally housed dogs, 150 macaques, 60 cats, 200 rabbits and 1 0 rooms of conventional rodents housed on 7 floors in the SMD. The original SMD cagewash design included three passthrough cage/rack washers in the wall between two equally sized, soiled and clean sides. Over time, the SMD large animal census has declined to less than 30 macaques, 7 rabbits and no dogs or cats. In contrast, the SPF mouse census in the SMD has increased to over 9,000 cages all housed in HEPA-filtered, ventilated racks. The SMD Vivarium supports 98 principal investigators across 38 departments. A total of $277M funded mouse-based research ($184M NIH, $33M Institutional, $23M Corporation, $15M Foundation, $1 OM DOD, $12M Other) depends on the outdated SMD vivarium cage wash. SMD cage wash facility currently includes one cage/rack washer and two, small chamber autoclaves. In January 2024, we achieved a first step to modernize the SMD cage wash facility for mice by replacing one of the two rack washers with a Vivus Technologies™ tunnel washer. While the new tunnel washer has significantly advanced more efficient mouse cage washing, the cabinet autoclaves continue to pose a bottle neck with low through-put. If awarded this $350,000 equipment grant, the university has committed an additional $57,000 for the purchase of the $407,000 Gruenberg™ Dry Heat Sterilizer (Model VST40H280.OSS-2D-RM-G) plus an additional $207,000 to prepare a level, heat resistant floor and bring the necessary electrical, exhaust and compressed air utilities to the installation site. Addition of the Gruenberg™ Dry Heat Sterilizer will reduce labor and utilities expenses for SM D's current 10,000 cage census as well as position the university for meeting the needs of new recruits even with a doubling of the mouse cage census.
