Animal Research

Esco now offers a complete line of animal research products with the launch of the VIVA Bedding Disposal Workstation. Esco’s range of VIVA animal research products are designed for lab animal research applications involving rodents. Cage cleaning and bedding disposal procedures are now simpler, safer and more productive with the VIVA Bedding Disposal Workstation. Specifically designed for the animal research laboratory, the mobile workstation protects personnel and the lab environment from exposure to allergens and unpleasant odors.

The $60 million HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology will officially open in the Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, Ala. in April of 2008. Housing 12 for-profit companies and 900 employees, the facility will support Alabama’s high tech, biotech, and clinical research industries to address a variety of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Designed by Cooper Carry, the 270,000-sf project is the cornerstone of the 150-acre CRP Biotech Campus.

The Jackson Laboratory (JAX® Mice & Services) is engaged in an expansion of its mouse production facility in West Sacramento, Calif. The project will increase the size of the building from 40,000-sf to 200,000-sf. The Jackson Laboratory transports approximately 50,000 mice per week from its Bar Harbor, Maine headquarters and between 5,000 and 8,000 mice per week from West Sacramento.

Texas A&M University broke ground in April of 2008 on the $47.8 million Texas Institute of Preclinical Studies (TIPS) in the A&M Research Park in Bryan. The 112,000-sf biomedical and animal research facility will support development and commercialization of therapies for diseases including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s.

The University of Texas at Austin is constructing a 6,000-sf vivarium connecting to the Neural and Molecular Biology Building. The $15 million facility is slated for completion in 2008. The University is also developing the $125 million, 256,000-sf Experimental Science Building housing laboratory, classroom, and office space to support research in computational biology, environmental sciences, pharmacy, and molecular and cellular biology. Completion is expected by 2010.

Taconic, Inc. opened its new Isolator Breeding Solutions (IBS) facility in Rensselaer, N.Y. in March of 2008. Located in the University at Albany Foundation's East Campus biotechnology park, the 23,000-sf facility will accommodate isolator production of rats and mice for biomedical research. Enabling Taconic to expand its capacity for isolator breeding, the facility will feature advanced environmental regulation and monitoring systems as well as a redundant alarm system and backup power generator. 

DRE Veterinary has expanded its product line of veterinary anesthesia machines to include the DRE Titan, a large animal anesthesia system. Engineered for maximum versatility and unmatched accuracy, the Titan is perfect for anesthetizing equine, bovine, and zoological animals. Veterinary surgeons can utilize the DRE Titan Large Animal Anesthesia Machine for simple anesthesia functions like controlling spontaneous breathing, as well as more rigorous functions like controlling animal ventilation.

The National Centre for Zoonosis Research opened in Leahurst in the United Kingdom in March of 2008. Based at the Liverpool University Leahurst veterinary field station, the facility will accommodate collaborative zoonotic disease research. Supported by a £1.7 million grant from the North West Development Agency, the project included renovating a former graduate student housing facility to accommodate a suite of Category 3 laboratories, including a bacterial zoonoses lab, administrative offices, and lecture facilities.

Colorado State University initiated construction in early 2008 on a $42 million Diagnostic Medicine Center in Fort Collins. Sited south of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the 90,000-sf facility will be comprised of the Clinical Pathology Laboratory, the CSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, and the Animal Population Health Institute. Completion is slated for December 2009.

Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) is engaged in an expansion of its diagnostic laboratories in Saskatoon. The facility will house postmortem rooms and laboratories for animal disease diagnosis and will be constructed to national biosafety standards. The project began construction in fall of 2006 and is expected to reach completion in 2008. The existing diagnostic laboratory will be renovated once the expansion is complete. The project is part of a major WCVM construction initiative.

The University of Guelph received $9.5 million from the Ontario government in February of 2008 to create a primary care teaching hospital for the Ontario Veterinary College. The research and education facility will provide an enhanced clinical learning environment for small animal care and enable the college to expand training in nutrition, health and wellness. The University is also receiving $8.1 million to support energy efficiency, infrastructure, and safety improvements.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s BSL-3 laboratory became operational in late January of 2008. The $2.45-million facility supports select agent research in a one-story, permanent, self-contained 1,600-sf building with three individual laboratory rooms: an animal lab, a mechanical room, and shower/change rooms.

Madison Area Technical College (MATC) dedicated its new $350,000 training laboratory for the Lab Animal Caretaker Program in February of 2008. The facility is owned by McAllen Properties and was built by Ruedebusch Development. Construction reached completion in November of 2007. The laboratory supports instruction in animal health, laboratory hygiene, veterinary terminology, and record keeping. MATC also offers a two-year animal technician program to provide qualified staff for local biotech and drug development companies such as Covance.

LAB Research Inc. is engaged in a $40 million expansion of its research facility in Laval, Quebec. Slated for completion in fall of 2008, the project will nearly double LAB’s existing footprint from 87,000-sf to 170,000-sf. Capacity for inhalation toxicology will be significantly expanded and the number of vivarium rooms will be increased 36 to 80.

The University of Pittsburgh has created a vaccine against the H5N1 strain of avian influenza. The vaccine produced a strong immune response in mice and protected them from death following infection with the H5N1 virus. The vaccine was created and tested by the University’s Center for Vaccine Research and Novavax and is undergoing early-phase clinical trial testing in humans in early 2008.