NIAAA DICBR Animal Care and Use Program - Ventilated rack and air handler

The mission of the National Institutes of Health (NIH, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is to generate and disseminate fundamental knowledge about the adverse effects of alcohol on health and well-being, and apply that knowledge to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol-related problems, including alcohol use disorder, across the lifespan.

The NIAAA DICBR Program of Animal Care and Use (1) Supervises the overall program of laboratory animal housing, care, and management to ensure compliance with the NIH Guide; (2) manages a preventive medicine program for disease control; (3) advises the research staff on all aspects of the use of animals in experiments, including experiment design, surgical and pre- and post-operative care, and experimental techniques; (4) supports the IACUC by reviewing protocols, conducting semi-annual inspections of facilities, compiling required reports, and maintaining files of animal usage; (5) orders animals for approved protocols; (6) participates on NIH animal care and use committees; and (7) manages the Institute animal exposure surveillance program.

Animals used for scientific research must be disease free and healthy to ensure they provide accurate and valid results. The research animals within the NIAAA DICBR Fishers Lane Animal Center are housed in individually ventilated cages on racks with ducting systems directly connected to dedicated Air Handing Units (AHU). These Individually Ventilated Cages (IVCs) serve as barrier units that allow the animals to be maintained separate from other animals in disease free conditions.

Proper air flow and air exchange within the ventilated cages and appropriate pressurization protects the animals in each cage from room contaminants and other animals by isolating the HEPA filtered supply air into each individual cage. In addition, the exhaust air is HEPA filtered prior to discharge from the rack to protect the macro-environment (the room) and personnel. The Air Handling Units and racks/cages are designed to specifically operate together with the correct differential pressure and air exchanges to achieve ventilation rates within specific requirements so that they are operating correctly to maintain the health of the research animals.

The purpose of this requirement is to acquire rodent housing/caging systems that are needed to accommodate additional rodent housing requirements to support of the NIAAA DICBR Program of Animal Care and Use. These items are necessary for Animal Healthcare, to support the continued operation of the NIAAA Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research (DICBR) Program of Animal Care and Use, and for the biosecurity of the laboratory research animals maintained within NIAAA operated animal facilities. This equipment will protect the resident animal colony in NIAAA operated animal facilities from inadvertent introduction of murine adventitious infectious agents to ensure animals are maintained in compliance with the NIH Policy Manual 3040-2 Animal Care and Use in the Intramural Program, DHHS policies, and all Federal Animal Welfare Laws, regulations and standards, such as USDA Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Regulations, Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, and the NRC Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as well as the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care, International (AAALACi) policies and procedures.