In order to maintain as high a health status as possible, there are certain restrictions on experimental activities and movements of both researchers and experimental animals. Animals are regularly brought out from our core breeding facility, colloquially known as 'the barrier', to the open part of The Animal Facility that can be accessed by researchers and where behavior and procedure rooms are located.
Introduction of new animals or strains
New animals and rodent strains from collaborators can be introduced live to the open part of The Animal Facility if their health status can be approved by the facility veterinarians. Once imported, the animals will have to remain in quarantine for a minimum of four weeks after which samples for environmental PCR testing will be collected. If these tests are negative, the animals can be released for breeding or experiments.
It is not possible to introduce live animals from collaborators to the breeding barrier. All new animals and strains destined for breeding must be introduced to the barrier by re-derivation. You can read more about the process and price of re-derivation here.
Status necessary for import
Detailed health status of the different housing rooms can be found to the right. If you wish to introduce new animals their health status should as minimum correspond to the current health status, or be better. In general, we approve introduction of animals with SOPF/OF status (Specific Opportunist and Pathogen Free/Opportunist Free).
If you want to know more or have questions, please contact the facility veterinarians.