Facilities and Labs

Animal Care Facility

The Hamner Institutes has a 23,000-square-foot Animal Care Facility for the housing and experimental treatment of laboratory animals that has been continuously accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since 1981.

Facility Capabilities

The Hamner maintains a state-of-the-art Animal Care Facility and the associated equipment for accommodating transgenic mice and other specialized laboratory animal models that are needed to carry out the research mission of The Hamner Institutes.

A flexible facility design allows for a variety of chemical exposure regimens, including oral gavage, parenteral administration, topical application, delivery in dosed feed or water, and inhalation exposures via whole-body and nose-only methods. The ProvantisT software system, which is compliant with Good Laboratory Practices, is used to collect data electronically.

Environmental conditions in the Animal Care Facility such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and lighting are automatically controlled and logged by an Andover Controls ContinuumT system. Drinking water purified by reverse osmosis is distributed through an automatic water distribution system. Food and bedding are carefully monitored for contaminants. Strict control of adventitious pathogens that can affect research is maintained through vendor screening and an active monitoring program using sentinel animals.

Staff Capabilities

Hamner animal care technicians are certified by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science and cross-trained to provide quality husbandry and technical support. Support functions provided by the staff include rodent breeding, surgical modifications and postsurgical support, transgenic microinjections, collection of biological samples and in-life data, observation and recording of developmental landmarks and changes in animal behavior, preparation and administration of dosed feed and water, rodent necropsy support, and the conduct of animal studies under Good Laboratory Practices or Hamner Research Quality Standards.

Care and Use of Animals

The Hamner Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) reviews and monitors all studies involving the use of animals to ensure that the research is conducted humanely and that all federal and local regulations are fulfilled. An attending veterinarian under contract with The Hamner reviews all IACUC statements, and a facility veterinarian oversees the entire animal care program.