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Sessions

Even more sessions coming soon!

Plenary Sessions

Developing a CRO in an academic institution: Opportunities, successes, and lessons learned

Establishing a contract research organization (CRO) for animal studies within a university setting has allowed Tufts to leverage its research expertise and infrastructure to provide a wide range of specialized services to external clients, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, start-ups, and government agencies. Scott Perkins and Corinna Beale scope out the collaborative and financial advantages, and the organizational, infrastructure, and operational hurdles that must be overcome. They quantify the impacts on species support, vivarium space utilization, technology investments, staffing models, accreditation requirements, operating costs, contracts, and more, and provide valuable lessons learned and next-step targets.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 8:45AM - 9:10AM
Salon C Ballroom
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Digital innovations driving vivarium productivity, quality, and cost savings

Rutgers’ simplified digital process for managing vivarium operations is a game changer for improving science reproducibility, reducing cost, streamlining operations, and improving staff engagement and morale. Jeetu Eswaraka charts the process of deploying mobile friendly tools at the room level, from engagement with the research community to product selection criteria development and implementation. He illustrates the positive effects in cost, headcount reduction, and actionable data for quick decision making, and he delivers lessons learned and recommendations for others embarking on similar productivity-enhancing initiatives.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 9:10AM - 9:35AM
Salon C Ballroom
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ABSL3 Facilities: Five years of lessons learned on design and operations

Five years of experience with Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine’s ABSL3 facility has provided valuable lessons learned on design and operation that will be instructive to any organization planning similar capital projects. Glen Itzkowitz and Jesse Kuhn re-examine “best laid plans” from their pre-construction presentation, and illustrate how specific design ideas, construction/infrastructure limitations, value engineering, and base building system utility decisions have influenced the resulting facility and operating processes. They advise what not to do, why not to do it, and how to fix what should not have been done.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 9:55AM - 10:20AM
Salon C Ballroom
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Thermoneutrality considerations for animal studies, building design, and operations

Animal model thermoneutrality has been at the forefront of translational medicine of late, and is directly connected to how facility and holding areas are designed and operated. John Hasenau examines what’s driving the need for rodent thermoneutrality, how the challenge is being tackled currently in facility and housing unit adaptations, and improved solutions on the horizon. He sets out rodent holding area planning best practices for delivering thermoneutrality and how to factor it all into facility design and operational plans.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 10:25AM - 10:50AM
Salon C Ballroom
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Repurposing high containment animal facilities: Large animal BSL-3Ag (FMDV) to avian BSL-2

Repurposing high containment animal facilities from large animal BSL-3Ag (FMDV) to avian BSL-2 represents a strategic move for The Pirbright Institute in its ongoing quest to optimize resources, expand research capabilities, and address emerging threats. Jason Tearle breaks down Pirbright’s repurposing project from infrastructure, space, and operating perspectives, and illustrates decisions made on capacity, animal housing, and the balance between providing biological containment and high standards of animal welfare.  The presentation describes how existing design features for the housing of farm animals under high containment were adapted for poultry at low containment to provide a high-quality cost-effective facility.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 3:45PM - 4:10PM
Salon C Ballroom
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Princeton’s master plan for the future of research, animal models, and vivarium investments

Princeton University’s unprecedented growth in rodent census has instigated a comprehensive analysis of existing animal facilities and future needs, the results of which are now shaping short- and long-term capital project strategies. Laura Conour profiles changes to research models, funding, and organizational priorities that are testing vivarium flexibility and capacity limits, and the opportunities for modernization, densification, sustainability improvements, and cost optimization that have been identified. She sets out Princeton’s decision-making criteria for weighing responses, including renovation, new construction, automation, housing upgrades, and more.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 4:15PM - 4:45PM
Salon C Ballroom
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From rodent facility to state-of-the art BSL2/3 NHP vivarium: “Total retrofit” solutions

Responding to program needs highlighted by the pandemic, research organizations around the world are prioritizing BLS2/3 NHP facility construction and modernization. Tereza Malveira de Araujo and Paula Reis de Rezende profile the repurposing of a partially constructed 43,000-sf rodent facility to serve NHP programs for Brazil’s Ministry of Health -- a move aimed at saving cost and time but also requiring novel space plans and engineering upgrades. They examine space-efficient holding, procedure, lab, necropsy, and support areas, and highlight project improvements garnered from close collaboration with future users. They also illustrate design and equipment decisions that support long-term maintenance and operations.

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 9:150M - 9:40AM
Salon C Ballroom
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New criteria for cagewash equipment ratios nets efficiency gains and resource savings

Alternative approaches to cagewash equipment ratios can more closely align available resources with today’s programmatic and operating cost requirements. Andrew Pesek charts MD Anderson’s process of decision-making which resulted in flipping their cagewash from two tunnel washers and one rack washer, to dual rack washers and a single tunnel washer. He illustrates the benefits in throughput, operating efficiency, support staff requirements, and better alignment of facility capabilities with emerging program needs. He relates how the project grew in scope and cost, and lessons learned on maintaining cage processing operations through construction.

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 9:45AM - 10:10AM
Salon C Ballroom
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Town Hall Knowledge Roundup

This end-of-day session is where key ideas, new developments, and findings that have been revealed over the course of the entire two-day conference (including sessions you may have missed) get clarified, expanded upon, and affirmed or debated. This is also the opportunity to get answers from industry leaders and the entire audience to specific questions on key and challenging issues.  

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 2:55PM - 3:40PM
Salon C Ballroom
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Concurrent Forum Sessions

(Pre-selection is not required.)
Animal research facilities design, construction, and commissioning case studies

This session surveys a myriad of recent animal research facility case studies for benchmarking your upcoming animal research initiatives. Kishore Warrier and Marcus Meyers demonstrate planning and design strategies for projects that incorporate LEED goals, resolve different ambient environments with seasonal outside air conditions from winter and wind to heat and humidity, and tackle pressurization requirements and challenges. They identify key MEP planning considerations and infrastructure components necessary to mitigate risk, and examine projects from design phase reviews to construction phase coordination and successful commissioning and turnover. They deliver lessons learned and identify new considerations for project teams.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 11:10AM - 12:05PM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
Friday, October 6th 11:45AM - 12:40PM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
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Creating BSL3/ABSL3 space in existing facilities: Requirements, strategies, and solutions

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has increased opportunities for laboratories to investigate emerging infectious diseases, and many institutions are looking for ways to add BSL3/ABSL3 space into existing buildings for conducting this research. Such renovations are not for the faint of heart. Mark Corey and Ross Ferries set out go/no-go criteria for candidate facilities, identify the space, security, and biosafety hurdles involved, and present a variety of approaches to overcoming common obstacles for in-design, under construction, and completed projects. They illustrate decisions on support equipment selection, logistics, lab services, filtration, and more.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 11:10AM - 12:05PM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
Friday, October 6th 1:45PM - 2:40PM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
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Resolving "extrinsic" environmental factors contributing to the reproducibility crisis in animal research

The research community has been grappling with "reproducibility crisis" for years, and the recently released NIH/ACD Working Group on Enhancing Rigor, Transparency, and Translatability in Animal Research report recommends critical evaluation of the "extrinsic" environmental factors that can influence biological function in research animals. In this session, Cindy Buckmaster details a practicable process to collect and store extrinsic data (temperature, humidity, light levels, noise, and vibration) for review and evaluation. She demonstrates how his is a necessary launch point for improving the accuracy of research findings, and the tools, software, and processes necessary.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 2:20PM - 3:15PM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
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Upper-story animal research facilities in leased buildings: Challenges and benefits

This session challenges the conventional practice of below-grade vivaria and presents new concepts and solutions to position them on the upper floors of research buildings. Session leaders examine what’s driving above-grade vivarium strategies in both leased and purpose-built facilities, what needs to change with regard to project conceptualization, and what’s required to resolve vibration, mechanical, and logistical challenges. They illustrate the benefits of elevated locations including security, preservation of high-value space for public functions, and enabling healthy workplace environments for staff. They call upon two recent projects to demonstrate features, advantages, and lesson learned from locating vivariums on high floors. 

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 1:10PM - 2:05PM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
Friday, October 6th 11:45AM - 12:40PM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
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Future-facing vivarium design strategies and features for improved operational efficiency

Attend this session for a case study of the Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building (AVBS) at Pennsylvania State University where presenters delve into design details and features aimed at taking vivarium operations to the next level of efficiency. Here you’ll see how facility designs including a centralized cage wash system support growth and increased capacity, enabling researchers to conduct transdisciplinary research for agricultural studies. Session leaders illustrate the combined effects of flexibility features, centralized systems, loading dock placement, and a dedicated MEP saddlebag system. They identify best practices and lessons learned from design and construction of the facility.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 1:10PM - 2:05PM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
Friday, October 6th 1:45PM - 2:40PM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
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Understanding the math and mechanics of thermal treatment: A practical discussion

Understanding the basic principles and calculations behind biological inactivation are valuable tools in designing and evaluating treatment strategies and systems. This discussion reviews the philosophy of thermal treatment and the underlying math as well as providing practical discussion in application. Participants will learn how to apply these principles to a broad range of applications. This session is intended for engineers, specifiers, biosafety personnel, regulators and others involved with developing and evaluating thermal treatment protocols.

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 8:05AM - 9:00AM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
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Advanced vivarium automation: Solutions for reproducibility, welfare, logistics, staffing

Three big challenges facing animal research organizations are study reproducibility, animal and human welfare, and operational efficiency – and new vivarium automation technologies offer solutions at different scales that bear serious consideration. Session leaders demonstrate the impact of the latest automation offerings including digital rodent cages, robotics in the washing area, and AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) for logistics. They illustrate how automation improves staff availability and retention and creates a technologically advanced environment engaging and attractive to the next generation. They examine the effects of automation on animal welfare, operational efficiency, and scientific advancement.

OccursLocation
Thursday, October 5th 2:20PM - 3:15PM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
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Lower cost, healthier, more sustainable vivaria leveraging demand-control ventilation

Transformative changes are reshaping the world around us and impacting how life science facilities and critical environments must operate. Now is the time to embrace new challenges, and seize opportunities for reducing operating costs, creating long-term resilience, establishing safe and healthy environments, reducing carbon footprints, and more. Paul Fuson examines the top three megatrends creating research facility operational improvement opportunities, and how to adopt enabling technologies while maintaining continuity. He illustrates improvements to safety, animal and human health, and competitiveness by leveraging digitalization.

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 10:35AM - 11:30AM
Room 406 (left side foyer)
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Veterinary diagnostics labs: Efficient operating models and design concepts from the latest facilities

Many Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratories face operational challenges stemming from aging facilities which can foster biosafety risks and hamper testing efficacy and turnaround time. New planning and design solutions that optimize operations have emerged based on lessons learned from the last generation of facilities, and this session nails down what those evolutions are. Jim Chen illustrates criteria and best practices for resolving challenges in outdated veterinary diagnostics facilities, including sample receiving/processing and testing workflows, circulation strategies that improve biosecurity/biosafety, optimized animal handling and necropsy, and BSL3 containment lab programming.

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 8:05AM - 9:00AM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
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Decision-making criteria for disposable IVCs: Space, science, sustainability, speed drivers

When are disposable IVCs an appropriate caging solution versus maintaining a cage inventory and building and operating cagewash and sterilization equipment? Marco Breuer examines key drivers pointing to a disposable, recyclable solution, effective use of available space for research, facility and equipment life cycles, project timelines, cage change frequencies, and operating vs. capital cost models. He profiles disposable, recyclable solutions that deliver many organizational goals while providing flexibility. He outlines critical operational planning considerations, including biosecurity, sustainability, staffing costs, and human and animal welfare.

OccursLocation
Friday, October 6th 10:35AM - 11:30AM
Room 408 (left side foyer)
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