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Clara Christie Centre for Mouse Genomics

Published 8/14/2013
Automated Cage Dumping
Training Room
Floor Plan

The 33,000-sf Clara Christie Centre for Mouse Genomics (CCCMG) at the University of Calgary—a centralized facility for the production and breeding of transgenic mice—expands mouse housing, provides procedure spaces for researchers, enables mouse transgenics production, and creates new space to phenotype the transgenic models.

Improvements include nine additional mouse holding rooms, each housing 960 individually ventilated cages, and expansion of the old facility’s holding area by 8,640 cages. An additional 1,200 sf dedicated to transgenics production and phenotyping technologies gives researchers room to work and allows the Centre to conduct new procedures and expand its client base across western Canada.

Located on the basement level of the Health Research Innovation Centre, CCCMG is a self-contained barrier unit separate from the other Animal Resource Centre facilities. A 24-hour card system tightly limits access to approved research personnel and staff.

To mitigate allergen and ergonomic risk to staff, the CCCMG incorporates a robotic cage dumping system, automated watering at the cage level, and clean and soiled bedding dispensing and handling systems. As a self-contained facility, it also includes storage, shipping/receiving, decontamination, washing, sterilizing, and fully equipped staff areas. Colors and textures for finishes and graphics provide bright, low-maintenance, non-slip surfaces, and easily identifiable way finding throughout CCCMG.

CCCMG is part of a comprehensive Animal Resource Centre that also includes the Mouse Double and Single Barrier units (some of whose mice moved into the new CCCMG) and the Mouse Halfway House, as well as conventional housing of other species, and a surgical facility.

Organization Project Role
DIALOG
Architect
Duke Projects Inc.
Project Management
Greenwood International
Project Equipment Procurement
PCL Construction Service Inc
Builder
Automation and Cage Processing
Tecniplast USA
Caging and Cage Change Stations
STERIS Corporation
Sterilizers
MMA by Concrete Solutions
Flooring
NUAIRE Inc.
Biological Safety Cabinets
Viratek
Misting Tunnel
Terra Universal
Air Shower
Siemens
BMS
Siemens
HVAC Control
Siemens
Security
McCrum’s
Furnishings
Edstrom
Autowatering System
Culligan
Water Filtration/Treatment
Bioquell Inc.
Hydrogen Peroxide Decontamination
Mortech
Necropsy Table
Reggin
Stainless Work
Canem Systems
Electrical
MOTT Lab
Casework
Northern Hardware
Casework Doors and Hardware
Decontamination Chambers
Canadian Veterinary Imaging
Portable Ultrasound Unit
Heska
Blood Chemistry Machine
Heska
Electrolyte Analyzer
Heska
Hematology Analyzer