Introduction

The Building 6B Shared Animal Facility provides centralized care and housing for rodent and aquatic species used in the intramural research programs of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). The NICHD has been designated as Lead Institute of this facility. The Building 6B Shared Animal Facility opened in January 1991 and is operated as a restricted-access disease-free facility. The facility is currently at full capacity housing mice, rats, guinea pigs, zebrafish (Danio rerio), and African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis). Only animals known to be free of pathogenic organisms may be maintained in the facility (aquatic species are excluded from this requirement). The facility has 16,896 square feet of space including 21 animal rooms, six procedure rooms, four cubicles for quarantine, three cubicles for isolation, and three cubicles for special light-controlled studies. Specialized areas for transgenic mouse holding and experimentation is provided. The facility is capable of supporting Biosafety Level II studies.

The facility uses air-supplied microisolator cages (Lab Products®) for housing rats and mice. Cages are changed using specialized microisolator techniques in vented change hoods. There are written operating procedures developed specifically for this facility that clearly describe procedures to be followed by the staff and investigators.

The animal care, cage wash, technical, and supervisory staff is provided through a contract with Priority One Services. The staff is charged with the responsibility to ensure nothing less than the humane care, treatment, and use of animals housed or scientifically manipulated within the Building 6B Shared Animal Facility. The entire staff has the responsibility of providing reliable, professional support to government personnel.

The Building 6B Shared Animal Facility User Committee meets quarterly. Each User Institute has scientific, veterinary, and administrative representation on this committee. Meetings usually concern budget approval, animal disease problems, special purchases, significant changes in operating procedures, etc. Investigators are advised to make their concerns and needs known to their representative on the User committee. A subcommittee of the four User Institute veterinarians also meets as needed. Both the User Committee and the Veterinary Advisroy Subcommittee have been successful at coming to a consensus on issues that arise rather than having to resort to majority votes.