Dear Research Community,
Upon retirement of Dr. David Kimball, we are very excited to have leadership of Dr. Kathleen Scotto, as Interim Senior Vice President for Research and as our new Institutional Official (IO). Dr. Scotto’s role as Institutional Official is mandated by both OLAW and the USDA. IACUC office has notified both agencies and AAALAC of this program change.
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Message from Newark IACUC Chair
Once again, I extend hope that you have all remained well during these difficult times – at least there appears to be an end in sight, distant though that may be. And once again, I am grateful to everyone for their efforts to remain in compliance with their animal protocols. For the most part, things have been going very well thanks to both researchers and CMR staff.
There is one message, however, that I would like to gently convey from the veterinary and scientific members of the IACUC. Please keep your doggone paws off of the water valves (aka lixits). These valves are more fragile than they appear. We have had several instances where researchers have inadvertently broken them while disconnecting/reconnecting cages (often without realizing that they were broken). This issue has been exacerbated by inadequate communication between researchers and animal care staff (not laying blame on either side). As a result, research was compromised. So, if you need to disconnect or reconnect the automatic water for any reason, please communicate this to the animal care staff/facility supervisor and provide the precise dates involved. The CMR staff will perform any manipulation of the automatic watering system. Enhanced communication between researchers and animal care staff will enable both groups to cross-check each other to ensure that animals always have access to either water bottles or automatic water. This should be a team effort.
Thanks again everyone for helping to make our animal research program top tier!
Vanessa H. Routh, Ph.D.
Professor
Chair, Newark Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC)
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An interview with Jean-Pierre Etchegaray, PhD |
Jean-Pierre Etchegaray is a molecular biologist and a new Rutgers faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences at the School or Arts and Sciences-Newark (SASN). His research focuses on understanding epigenetics and transcriptional mechanisms underlying cell fate changes in the contexts of embryonic development, cancer and aging. Jean-Pierre obtained his doctorate degree from Rutgers University and continued his academic career as a postdoctoral fellow in the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Cancer Research (CCR) and MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) at Harvard Medical School. The Etchegaray Lab uses mouse models to elucidate epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms regulating in vivo somatic cellular reprogramming, cellular dedifferentiation during tumorigenesis and restoration of aging hallmarks. Additionally, his lab uses mouse models carrying a circadian reporter gene to determine the role of circadian clock rhythms in cell fate transitions and its impact on disease. The Etchegaray Lab is currently using real-time monitoring of circadian rhythms in cells, three-dimensional (3D) organoids and tissue explants to identify new epigenetic and transcriptional programs involved in embryogenesis, cancer and aging that are regulated by the biological clock.
The Etchegaray Lab has been collaborating projects on epigenetic studies using mouse models with other faculty members in the Department of Biological Sciences including Drs. Nan Gao and Tracy Tran. They also have an exciting collaboration about epigenetic mechanisms in the formation of cancer stem cells with Dr. Pranela Rameshwar in the Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS).
Interviewer(s):
Peter Condobery., BVSc.&AH., MS., ECFVG.
Chief Clinical Veterinarian
Suresh Bhatt , M.V.Sc., RLATG, CMAR
Veterinary Technologist
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The Animal Care Training Team has been hard at work during the past year creating virtual training opportunities for both North and South Campuses. Due to pandemic restrictions, in-person group training sessions were suspended but training must go on!
Video trainings are available for a variety of topics, such as “How to use ACFC”, “Proper Usage of Charcoal Gas Scavenge Canisters”, “How to use a Biosafety Cabinet”, “Cage Changing Practices for Researchers”. Additional training videos are in development and will be added to CRS soon!
The training team is also available for small group or one-on-one training sessions on a variety of topics and techniques. If you do not see a course listing on CRS that addresses your needs, email the Training Coordinator for your campus to schedule a training session.
CRS can be accessed through the eIACUC home page. Additional instructions, training and contact information can be found on our website:
New training updates:
South Campus: Aseptic Techniques course is now mandatory on South Campus for all new animal surgeons. This change includes mandatory online training modules, a virtual training session, and a surgical observation. More information will be available soon on our website.
North and South Campuses: All those with genotyping or breeding on their protocol will be required to watch the genotyping training video. This training video will be added to the CRS website under “Virtual Training” the first week of May.
Happy Learning!
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Upgrades to Cancer Center
The transition to NexGen IVC cages is almost complete. The estimated completion date is the end of May. During this transition, cages are going from exhaust-only ventilation to HEPA filtered supply and exhaust air. Water Type is changing from bottle to Hydropac® pouch. Training for proper placement is being provided for all Cancer Center users. If you have not signed up for training, you can do so by emailing Erin McCaffrey. Due to the gasketed seal of this caging, BSL 2 animals can be housed in the same rack as non-hazard animals allowing for all colony cages to be housed together. Proper signage and labels are still required. Please contact the facility supervisor if there are any questions related to BSL-2 housing studies and we will work with you and REHS to resolve any concerns on case by case basis.
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Finance and Administration Update |
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AN UPDATE ON ANIMAL CARE AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE (ACFC) |
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Phase 1 of the ACFC update launched on Oct 1st, 2020 and focused on:
- Consolidation of animal management programs
- Automation of protocol data flow and
- Centralization of the animal procurement process
As of April 30th, over 1,300 transactions have been processed using ACFC's centralized animal ordering portal, greatly reducing the procurement effort for the PI and lab members, while providing transparency to the animal delivery and charging processes.
Phase 2 of ACFC is scheduled to debut later this summer and focuses on utilizing RFID enabled cage cards to improve the census taking process. The RFID will enable greater frequency of census collection, resulting in more accurate and timelier per diem charges, while reducing the overall labor expenditure for the husbandry staff.
ACFC was also recently updated to centralize the internal transfer request process, to provide more transparency to the transactions, better enabling Animal Care to fulfill our regulatory obligations. While the animal transfer request process is a new feature, we appreciate the feedback we have already received on how to further improve the process and we look forward to future implementations.
Stay tuned for more information!
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UPDATE ON PIER DIEM CHARGES
Rutgers University Animal Care did a Time and Motion analysis and we anticipate an increase of 3% in per diems for rodents in July 2021. An announcement will be issued shortly.
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SPECIAL PRICING AND PROMOTIONAL INFORMATION FOR RUTGERS RESEARCHERS
Rutgers University periodically receives special pricing or promotions on research models and associated services from approved vendors. These custom price lists and specials that are currently being offered to university researchers are posted on Animal Care website under Animal Orders.
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The Rutgers University Molecular Imaging Center (RUMIC), located on the Livingston Campus, provides imaging resources for the non-invasive evaluation of structural features and biological processes in living systems, disease models, ex vivo organs and preserved specimens. Physical objects (e.g., biomaterials, viscous fluids, ice crystals, assembled electronics, polymers, medical devices, etc.) can also be evaluated. Comprehensive imaging modalities for the basic and preclinical sciences include MRI, PET/CT, microCT, nanoCT, Optical/X-ray Imaging, High-Resolution Ultrasound/Echocardiography Technologies. Image reconstruction, animation, 3D display and quantitative image analysis can be conducted at RUMIC workstations or via remote access to advanced VivoQuantTM software.
The Center is adjacent to a CMR animal holding facilities for serial imaging, anesthesia, surgery, animal treatment and veterinary care. In addition to consultation and experimental services, the Center offers periodic training and conducts research to improve existing imaging technologies. Our mission is to empower Rutgers investigators by promoting independent use of the imaging systems, however expert assistance is available.
The RUMIC is comprised of the Director, Dr. Ed Yurkow, Asst. Dir./Manager & MRI Specialist Derek Adler, CT Imaging Specialist Patricia Buckendahl, and Project Research Associates, Sean Wang (In Vivo Studies/Animal Surgeon), Shawn Wu (Imaging Specialist) and Peter Kuhn (In Vitro/Ex Vivo Scientist).
To arrange independent or collaborative projects and grant submission support contact Ed Yurkow. For scheduling RUMIC tours and imaging sessions contact Derek Adler.
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In Vivo Research Services (IVRS) offers
Blood Chemistry Analyzer: Heska Element DC5X
HESKA location: School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ
- Measures: blood electrolytes, enzymes, glucose, lipid, proteins
- Available Species: multiple animal species including rats and mice
- Report: Excel format compatible. The report will be available the same day and includes the results, low/high flags, and normal range.
Individual tests: BUN, CREA, ALP, ALT, PHOS, GGT, TBIL, AS, GLU, TP, ALB, Ca, Mg, NH3, TRIG, LIP, AMY, CK, URIC, CHOL, LDH, Electrolytes (Na+, K+, Cl-)
50 μl of serum/plasma (heparin only) or 200 μl of whole blood *
Comprehensive Plus Panel: (ALP, ALT, BUN, CREA, GLU, TP, TBIL, ALB, PHOS, Ca, CHOL, GGT, LIP, AMY, Mg, TRIG, AST, Na+, K+, Cl-)= Comp 20
220 μl serum/plasma (heparin only) or 450 μl of whole blood *
Comprehensive Panel: (ALP, ALT, BUN, CREA, GLU, TP, TBIL, ALB, PHOS, Ca, CHOL, GGT)= Comp 12
140 μl serum/plasma (heparin only) or 250 μl of whole blood*
Liver Panel: (ALB, ALP, ALT, GGT, GLU, TBIL)
80 μl serum/plasma (heparin only); 160 μl of whole blood *
Kidney Panel: (ALB, BUN, CREA, Ca, PHOS, TP)
80 μl serum/plasma (heparin only); 160 μl of whole blood *
*For plasma samples whole blood must have heparin added
Special discounted pricing is available for Rutgers faculty
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Erin McCaffrey has joined CMR staff as Assistant Supervisor of Cancer Center. Erin comes to us from our New Brunswick campus where she worked for 2 years in CMR husbandry staff. Erin is a Rutgers alumna now working on her master’s degree in Drug Discovery and Development and is the recent recipient of NJ AALAS scholarship. Erin is also certified as a Laboratory Animal Technician through AALAS and will be sitting this summer for the next level certification. We are happy to have Erin join our team!
Both Maya McDougal and Jamie White have passed the Laboratory Animal Technician certification form AALAS. They worked hard and their efforts have paid off. Maya and Jamie have been promoted to Principal Animal Care Technician. Congratulations Maya and Jamie!
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If you would like to contribute, share research related news, events, or simply have feedback, send us a message at ruac@research.rutgers.edu. We'd love to hear from you!
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