|
Animal Care Newsletter | December 2020
|
|
 |
|
 |
| | Todd Mowery, Ph.D. |
Todd Mowery, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, BHI/RWJMS
Department of Otolaryngology
Head and Neck Surgery
The Mowery lab investigates how early auditory and visual sensory experience influences the development of functional brain circuits that govern perceptual and associative learning and memory. My neuroscience approach uses cutting edge advances in classic in vivo and in vitro electrophysiological recording techniques to study anatomy, physiology, and behavior. These include simultaneous 128 channel recording from multiple electrode arrays, both in vivo and in vitro optogenetic stimulation, cannula drug delivery, and chemogenetic manipulation of behavioral circuits. My research uses the Mongolian gerbil as an animal model due to their excellent visual acuity and human-like low frequency hearing. I have used the mouse genetic toolbox extensively to integrate AAV approaches into this animal model for circuit cracking (viral tracing), cell specific labeling, and functional brain slice development. Recently, we have mapped the gerbil genome, thereby opening up this animal model for gene therapy discovery and development.
Almost half a billion people suffer from some form of hearing loss. Developmental hearing loss is the most pervasive childhood disorder affecting 35 million children worldwide and around 4 million children in the United States. Fortunately, treatments for developmental hearing loss do exist. In fact, recovery of auditory perceptual processing can be effectively complete; however, long term changes to the central nervous system create lingering deficits to cognition, learning, and memory. Even brief hearing loss associated with inner ear infections can have lifelong consequences on cognitive processing. My primary research focuses on identifying the locus of these central deficits and exploring pharmacological prevention in developing children and gene therapy treatment for permanent changes in juveniles and adults. A second line of research will focus on how early visual and auditory experience interact to shape behavior, learning, and memory in juveniles and adults. I also collaborate with medical investigators at RWJMS to develop animal models of hearing related disorders and explore surgical approaches for better treatment outcomes.
I currently work with Ashley Wackym MD, PhD, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at RWJMS and two medical students (Brian Morris and Olivia Van Osch). A postdoctoral fellow will be joining me in March from North East Ohio Medical School (Jennifer Gay, PhD). I'm looking for students interested in hearing and visual sensory systems who would like hands-on neuroscience training in electrophysiology, anatomical approaches to studying brain circuit function, and behavioral testing in animals.
|
|
Printing Protocols
The printing package in eIACUC has recently been updated and protocols are now printing as much shorter documents due to the removal of white space and page breaks. If you need to print a protocol, please see the steps below.
- Log into eIACUC
- Click the IACUC tab
- Click the Research Team name
- Click the Protocol Number in blue
- On the left, click Printer or Extended Printer Version (if available)
- If using the Printer Version, select Submission Default
- Click Print
Standard Procedures
As a reminder, the eIACUC Standard Procedures Library has been significantly expanded. It is strongly recommended and encouraged to use Standard Procedures instead of Team Procedures whenever possible. Examples include Euthanasia, Perfusion, Anesthesia, Analgesia, Behavioral procedures, and Genotyping. These procedures have already been approved by the IACUC and the IACUC office maintains and updates these procedures based on changes to regulations and policies. Using standard procedures will make protocols easier to maintain for the PI and research team and help expedite protocol reviews.
To view the standard procedures, please see the steps below.
- Log into eIACUC
- Click the IACUC tab
- Click the Research Team name
- Click the Procedures tab
Additionally, there are Standard Procedure Templates in the library. Any procedure with TEMPLATE in the title will need to be copied into a team procedure to add pertinent details which are currently listed as placeholders. To copy a standard procedure template into a team procedure, please see the steps below.
- Log into eIACUC
- Click the IACUC tab
- Click the Research Team name
- Click the Procedures tab
- Locate the procedure you would like to copy
- In the second column, click Actions- Copy Procedure
- Enter the procedure name, select the research team, click OK. The procedure will then appear in the procedures tab.
- To edit, click the Procedure Name
- Click Edit Procedure on the left
|
|
|
|
All I Really Need to Know About COVID-19
I Learned in Kindergarten...
by: Nancy Rossi
Inspired by Robert Fulghum's essay "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" (Fulghum, 1988)
|
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sand pile at Sunday School. -Robert Fulghum
Share everything: especially hand sanitizer, PPE & animals.
Play fair: play at home if you are sick or may have been exposed.
Don't hit people: stay 6 feet apart so you don't touch others.
Put things back where you found them: resources are limited, make it easier for the next person.
Clean up your own mess: cleanliness prevents the spread; cover your mouth when you cough.
Don't take things that aren't yours: especially masks and mice; make sacrifices when necessary.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody: it's a stressful time so take a deep breath and count to 10 when upset or angry; practice compassion, put aside differences and support each other.
Wash your hands before you eat: and after you touch anything.
Flush: but do not use too much toilet paper.
Warm cookies and milk are good for you: so is enrichment for the research animals.
Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some: pretend every day is Halloween and always wear a mask with a smile behind.
Take a nap every afternoon: relax when you are feeling email or Zoom fatigue.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together: don't physically hold hands; instead support each other, give air hugs and embrace the virtual world.
Wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that, including viruses which can grow and spread very quickly if we are not careful; take time to learn new things and share your knowledge.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup-they all die. So do we: cherish the time you had with the family and friends you lost; appreciate and remember the research animals who gave their lives to find a vaccine and a cure.
And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned-the biggest word of all-LOOK: look ahead to the future and anticipate better times ahead - we are all HEROES!
|
IVRS core offers teaching, training, consultation and performing in vivo research studies for both Rutgers faculty and external entities. IVRS veterinary and technical staff have capabilities and expertise to perform broad range of in vivo research. Shoreh Miller, director of IVRS, has 20+ years of experience in in vivo and in vitro research as well as 15+ years as a clinical laboratory animal veterinarian. Her staff has expertise in performing complex rodent and large animal surgeries, animal model selection, expertise in preclinical study design, execution of study and project management. The IVRS core has helped produced three FDA-approved drugs and is an excellent resource at Rutgers. To schedule a consultation or to make an appointment, contact IVRS by email or phone numbers listed below:
Shoreh Miller, DVM, PhD, DACLAM
Director of IVRS
School of Public Health Vivarium at Busch Campus
Office: 848.445.7333
Cell: 609.235.6074
|
Service Fees
| |
First Training Session
|
Free
| |
IVRS Technical Staff
|
$65/hr
| |
Veterinarian
|
$100/hr
| |
CBC analysis
|
$15/sample
| |
Surgeries
|
Charges vary
|
|
In Vivo Research Services (IVRS) offers
Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analysis
HESKA HT5® hematology analyzer provides a true 5-part White Blood Cell differential, Red Blood Cell and Platelet parameters using laser, impedance and colorimetric technologies
HESKA location: School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ
- Sample size: minimum 15 ul (prefer 35 ul) of whole blood (with anticoagulant)
- Available Species: Mouse, Rat, Rabbit, Pig, Dog, Cat, Horse, Cow, Ferret, Goat, Monkey, Sheep, etc.
- Parameters measured:
White blood cell (WBC): total WBC number and % of neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils
Red blood cell (RBC): hemoglobin, hematocrit, platelets, MCV, MCH, MCHC, MPV, Red Blood Cell Distribution (RDW-CV)
Platelets: Total platelets (PLT) and Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)
- Report: Excel format compatible. The report will be available the same day and includes the results, low/high flags, and normal range
Price for Rutgers Faculty: $15/sample
Please note: The price of this test by commercial laboratory is $35/sample plus shipping cost.
Contact: Jiadong Li, Laboratory Researcher, for more information.
|
|
 Need a break? Go online!
The training team has been hard at work creating and providing virtual content for Rutgers researchers and staff. Check out the Course Registration Site for our new virtual content by visiting eIACUC -> "Course Registration System." Additional videos are added periodically. |
ACFC is Animal Care's new online animal ordering and per diem report system. ACFC
went live on October 1st, 2020. If you haven't already, sign up for virtual training ASAP to avoid any delays or disruptions to your ability to order animals.
Registration and virtual training class schedule is available on the Course Registration System (CRS) found on the eIACUC website. The course, "How to use ACFC," can be found within CRS by selecting CMR Virtual Training. After selection of date and time, a WebEx invitation for your registered session will be sent to you prior to the session.
|
Sentinel Health Surveillance Program
Rutgers University performs triannual comprehensive surveillance testing to screen for various pathogens in all rodent colonies. Microorganisms routinely screened for include mouse and rat parvoviruses, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), pinworms, fur mites and most recently, in 2020, we exclude for Corynebacterium bovis (C. bovis). Once C. bovis gains entry into the vivarium, it is extremely difficult and costly to eradicate as it can persist in the environment for long periods of time. It requires surgical re-derivation to eliminate and aggressive decontamination. This bacterium primarily affects nude, hairless or immunodeficient strains like SCIDs. If you have immune deficient strains and would like to be screened, you can request C. bovis testing.
____________________________
Ruby Gupta-Sentinel and Shipping Coordinator
|
|
|
Promotions
- Erin McCaffrey has been promoted to Assistant Supervisor in Newark campus
- Leslie Bird has been promoted to IACUC Compliance Administrator
ACLAM Examination
Dr. Jibing Yang, South Campus clinical veterinarian, passed the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) certifying examination in November 2020. Congratulations Jibing on your new Diplomate status and welcome to this prestigious College!
AALAS Certifications
Congratulations to the following individuals who passed AALAS Certifications this year:
-Nelson Cruz (North campus animal technician) received the ALAT certification in February 2020
-Sussan Saleh (South campus animal technician) received the LAT certification in June 2020
-Chris Cordova (North campus animal technician) received the ALAT certification in June 2020
-Cora Yates (South campus animal technician) received the LAT certification in September 2020
-Jaime White (North campus animal technician) received the LAT certification in October 2020
-Arianna Quinones (North campus shipping and sentinel coordinator) received the LAT certification in October 2020
-Ruby Gupta (South campus shipping and sentinel coordinator) received the LATg certification in October 2020
-Matt Keller (Finance coordinator) received the CMAR certification in December 2020
Great work everyone; we are proud of your accomplishments!
NJ-AALAS Awards
-Lisa Antonucci, North Campus Manager, won the 2020 Allentown Manager of the Year award! Congratulations Lisa, your leadership is unparalleled!
-Tracy Davis, North Campus training coordinator, won the 2020 Outstanding Contribution award. Thank you for your dedication and contributions to laboratory animal research!
-Dr. LaTisha Moody, one of our North Campus clinical veterinarians, was awarded the 2020 Ancare Vet of the Year award. Congratulations LaTisha - you have made such a difference in our program!
-Ruby Gupta, South Campus shipping and sentinel coordinator, was awarded the 2020 Bio-Serv Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award. Thank you for all that you do for the research animals, Ruby!
These are all significant achievements and we are proud to have so many Rutgers staff members granted awards this year. Keep up the good work, and thank you!
|
|
|
|
Welcome!
We are happy to share that the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) board of directors have officially approved our residency training program. Please welcome the first two laboratory animal veterinary residents, Dr. Sarah Makhija (Sally) and Dr. Joyce Stuckey. They are both looking forward to working with the faculty and users to support your research needs at Rutgers.
|
|
|
|
Dr. Sarah Makhija (Sally)
I am Sally! I recently moved from South Carolina, but I am originally from a suburb of Chicago. I received a BS in molecular biology from Kenyon College in 2012 and graduated from St. Matthew's University veterinary school in 2016. I also completed an MPH from Michigan State University in 2018. Before Rutgers, I worked as a clinical veterinarian at Alpha Genesis Inc., a large primate breeding and research facility for four years. I will initially be working on North Campus!
|
Dr. Joyce Stuckey
I am Joyce! I graduated from the University of South Carolina Honors College in 2004 with a B.S. in Marine Science and a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in Music. In 2012, I graduated from the veterinary college of Cornell University and completed a small animal clinical internship at Coral Springs Animal Hospital in Florida. I have worked as a small animal and exotics clinician, and most recently one of the Cornell University's IACUC administrators. I will initially be working on South Campus!
|
|
|
Guess the sentence below...
|
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!
|
|
Copyright ©2020, Rutgers University, an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution.
|
|
|
|
