Animal facility

Institutional declaration of the PCB on the use of experimental animals

 

2.600 m2 zoological core to offer benchmark services and facilities in research with live models. The animal facility assesses, designs and develops projects for third parties in the areas of biomedicine and biotechnology.

  • 2 SPF animal facilities for rodents (rat, mouse, hamster and guinea pig).
  • 1 animal facility for Xenopus laevis models.
  • 1 isolator area for the housing of gnotobiotic mice.

Services

  • Management and maintenance of existing animal models.
  • Purchase, import and export management.
    • Quarantine and health control.
    • Change of cages, diet, drinking water, cage labelling.
    • Assessment in veterinary and animal welfare matters.
    • Assessment in veterinary and animal welfare matters.
    • Sterilisation of SPF area material.
  • Induced-model generation.
  • Contract research projects (CRO).
  • Design and generation of new experimental models and paradigms.
  • User service.
    • Assessment in animal health and welfare matters.
    • Updating of regulations related to animal experimentation.
    • Notification of specialised courses.
    • Assessment in model import and export.
  • Facility maintenance and operation.
    • Computerised control of environmental conditions, with connection to alarms.
    • 24/7/365 maintenance service.
    • Water environmental microbiological control.
    • Computerised management program.
    • Waste disposal management.

Specific techniques [CVM1]:

  • Rodent colony management.
  • Anaesthesia, analgesia, euthanasia.
  • Fluid and drug administration, cell inoculation, blood or other fluid and tissue extraction.
  • Surgical procedures. Stereotaxis, generation of experimental surgical models.
  • Assisted reproduction techniques. Vasectomies, embryo transfer.
  • Necropsy and sampling.
  • Behavioural phenotyping battery (first and second screening).
  • Pathological anatomy and clinical biochemistry service (haematology, coagulation, proteins and enzymes, immunology, etc.).
  • Imaging diagnosis. Bioluminescence, fluorescence, ultrasound.
  • Metabolism studies. Cold and hot cabinets, metabolic cages, Oxymax.
  • Assistance in surgical procedures,
  • Post-operative care.
  • Use of radioisotopes in animals.
Animal facility registration of users not placed at the PCB Visitor data request

Other scientific services:

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)