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Animal Care Newsletter | December 2020
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Dear Colleagues,
When I commented in this newsletter last spring, I really did not expect that COVID-19 would continue to significantly affect our research efforts into the fall and beyond (I guess that was shortsighted of me). I hope that you have all remained well during these difficult times. There are always things for which to give thanks. As the IACUC chair, I am grateful for your efforts to work with the animal facility to maintain compliance despite personnel limitations (we have seen a drop in reportable incidences!). As a researcher I am also very grateful for the efforts of the CMR veterinarians and staff in helping us all to move our research forward while still keeping everyone safe and healthy. I hope that the next time this newsletter is published the situation will be closer to normal with COVID-19 moving toward the past.
Despite the slowdowns, the IACUC and the IACUC office have been working hard to improve our animal program and streamline the process for investigators. For example, there are some significant improvements in eIACUC that you will hear more about from the IACUC office. One of the most notable is the updated printing package. OK, I must admit to a certain perverse joy in submitting a 100+ page IACUC protocol filled with white space and page breaks to agencies that seemingly want to bury investigators in non-ending paperwork. However, for any other purpose these large documents were unwieldy and difficult to use. That has come to an end! The new printing package produces a much shorter and more accessible document. On another front, a subgroup of the IACUC and veterinarians have been hard at work developing a library of standard procedures for you to incorporate into your animal protocols. These procedures range from simple i.p. injections to blood collection to complex surgical techniques such as stereotaxic injections. These standard procedures can be readily incorporated into your protocols with any details specific to your own experiments described within the experimental design. The benefit of these standard procedures is that they have been approved by the IACUC which will streamline the review process. You will also find a variety of new TEMPLATES which you can then convert to a team procedure by adding details pertinent to your specific laboratory protocols. You will find instructions for using the new printing protocol and standard procedures in updates from the IACUC office or by contacting them at NewarkIACUC@rutgers.edu. I think you will be pleased by the number and variety of these standard procedures which are already available, and we will be continuing to expand the library for some time to come!
Have a safe, healthy and happy holiday season!
Vanessa H. Routh, PhD
Professor, IACUC Chair
Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience
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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
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| | Dr. Ying-xian Pan |
An interview with Ying-xian Pan, MD, MS, PhD
Ying-xian Pan is a molecular neuroscientist and a new Rutgers faculty member whose research focuses on the study of understanding the mechanisms of opioid drugs. Pan obtained his doctorate from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China, and his from Ph.D. from University of Cincinnati. He has spent the last 25 years at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Pan utilizes both mouse and rat animal models with CRISPR technology to insert or knock out specific splice variants or isoforms of mu opioid receptors in animal models to study their effects. His lab is currently working on developing a novel opioid drug that is more potent than morphine but has limited side effects associated with traditional opioid drugs such as respiratory depression, reward, tolerance and dependence. This drug is on track to entering the early phases of human clinical trials because of promising results demonstrated in the animal models.
Interviewer:
LaTisha Moody, DVM
Clinical Laboratory Animal Veterinarian
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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
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Service Fees
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First Training session
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Free
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IVRS technical staff
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$65/hr
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Veterinarian
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$100/hr
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CBC analysis
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$15/sample
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Surgeries
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Charges vary
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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: 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.
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 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 Oct 1st, 2020. If you have not done so already, please 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. 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 emailed to you prior to the session date.
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Sentinel Health Surveillance Program
Rutgers University performs triannual comprehensive surveillance testing to screen for various pathogens in all rodent colonies. Microorganisms we routinely screen 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 & 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 you would like to be screened, one can request C. bovis testing.
Sentinel Coordinators:
Arianna Quinones and Tracy Davis
Office: MSB vivarium
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 There is a new vending machine inside MSB Vivarium!
Shortly after Thanksgiving, the entrance to MSB barrier section will be changed from A663 to A661. This change was made to accommodate our new PPE vending machine. In addition to PPE, common use items like gel cups, topical ointments, and non-regulated drugs (i.e. sterile vials, NSAID analgesics) will also be available through the vending machine. This will allow you to get necessary items when CMR staff may not be available and allow us to collect inventory information and better manage our supply. Gloves will be the only item available outside of the vending machine. They will be available in room A661, each of the animal rooms, and the hallway outside of offices.
Once vending machine is available, other PPE stations will be eliminated. Communication will be sent out once the entrance barrier section number is changed and the vending machine becomes available for use. To access the PPE and other items using the machine, Rutgers ID and a special lab code will be required.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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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