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Welcome to the Spring edition of the Animal Care newsletter! This issue covers the following:
- Digital Vivarium Update
- IACUC Highlights
- Faculty Spotlight
- Vivarium Upgrades
- Training Reminders
- Tech Week Celebrations
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Our most recent upgrade to the Digital Vivarium included enhancement to its RFID census system which migrates the existing RFID census system from a 3rd party platform to one that was developed and built internally!
The primary benefits of this upgrade are:
- Improved availability of scan data (from nightly updates to once every 15 mins)
- Ability to reverse/reactivate previously checked out cage cards. It is important that all RFID cage cards that are not used to represent an animal cage, be housed outside of the colony room to eliminate the risk of being included in the census scans
- Significant reductions in the costs to operate the system
- Ability to integrate further customized solutions to the platform
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IACUC Highlights
- eIACUC will be upgrade to the 10.0 platform at the end of March
- Newark had a clean USDA inspection on 2/6/24 (no findings)
- The IACUC office renewed Rutgers Assurance with OLAW (occurs every 4 years)
- Review of the Rutgers IACUC Policy Handbook began in January; should be complete by August (occurs every 3 years)
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New Caging Upgrades to Nelson Vivarium | |
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As part of our continued commitment to improving our facilities, we are currently in the process of implementing major upgrades at the Nelson facility. A central component of this comprehensive upgrade plan involves transitioning from the existing Nelson caging to the cutting-edge Tecniplast caging. This transition has already commenced and will continue to unfold over the coming months, bringing a myriad of benefits to our operations.
Notably, the upgraded caging system offers vastly improved visibility into the cages, ensuring meticulous monitoring of the animals and their behaviors. This heightened level of observation is pivotal in maintaining their well-being and facilitating precise research outcomes. Additionally, the new caging system is designed to optimize airflow, creating more comfortable and healthier environments for our animal residents, further aligning with our commitment to superior animal care standards.
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Next step in our commitment to innovation and improvements will be to introduce Digital Ventilated Caging (DVC) technology. The DVC system represents the pinnacle of advancements in animal care, allowing for individualized cage monitoring on a real-time basis. This groundbreaking technology enables continuous tracking of bedding conditions and movement patterns of the animals within each cage, assisting Animal Care in identifying cages that need to be changed or animals that need intervention.
In addition, the system also tracks temperature, humidity, noise, vibration, presence of light and also presence of people at the rack level. By seamlessly integrating DVC cages into our facilities, we are not only significantly enhancing the well-being of our animals but also elevating the quality and reliability of our research endeavors to new heights.
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Natasha O'Brown, Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Department: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience
natasha.obrown@rutgers.edu
Dr. O’Brown earned her Bachelor of Science with Honors in Biology from Davidson College in North Carolina, where she was first introduced to the beauty of zebrafish development under the guidance of Dr. Barbara Lom. She received a PhD in Developmental Biology from Stanford University for her work in Dr. David Kingsley’s lab studying the molecular basis of evolutionary adaptive traits in threespine sticklebacks. Her doctoral work identified a single SNP in an enhancer that was responsible for the loss of bony armor plates along the flanks in freshwater populations around the world. This research was supported by a distinguished NSF graduate research fellowship. Continuing her journey at Harvard Medical School, Dr. O’Brown’s postdoctoral research combined the research expertise of two groups: Sean Megason in zebrafish imaging and Chenghua Gu in vascular cell biology. Here, she published seminal papers that positioned zebrafish as a vital in vivo model for blood-brain barrier (BBB) studies, bringing all of the established molecular tools from mouse to this new system, and uncovered a novel neuronal regulator of BBB function, Spock1. Her innovative work earned her multiple accolades, including the Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship and the Pathway to Independence Award from the NICHD.
Dr. O'Brown has recently established her laboratory at Rutgers University's Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience on Busch Campus, where she continues her innovative use of zebrafish to explore the cellular dynamics that orchestrate the BBB function. Zebrafish models enable her to visualize the entire living brain, providing a window into the temporal interactions among various cells in the brain and their influence on vascular properties. Her current research focuses on leveraging this system to delve deeper into the role of different brain cells, particularly astrocytes, in the maintenance of the BBB—a process well-established in mammals but less understood in terms of the specific molecules involved. With the hypothesis that mammals may exhibit unique astrocytic features for more refined control of the BBB, her work is directed toward identifying these species-specific adaptations by genetically and surgically manipulating the zebrafish system. Additionally, her lab is set to conduct small molecule screens using the zebrafish model, aiming to discover new therapeutic strategies that can either enhance drug delivery to the brain by increasing BBB permeability or strengthen the BBB to protect against further damage and neurodegeneration.
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In Vivo Techniques Course (IVT)
We are now halfway through the Spring semester and our third iteration of the In Vivo Techniques undergraduate course, an effort lead by training team members Mariel Nigro and Dr. Lauren Bright. The course is collaboratively taught by our CMR veterinary residents, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians, a true group effort bringing a multitude of experience to the students.
IVT is an experiential, intensive course for undergraduates to gain proficiency in lab animal rodent concepts and commonly performed techniques. This semester we have 11 students who will be starting surgical training after spring break!
If you’re interested in adding students to your research team after they’ve completed this course, let us know and we can link you up! Our past students have been very successful working in research laboratories as well as with our CMR clinical team.
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The Rutgers University Comparative Medicine Resources (CMR) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) have a required education program that must be completed by all personnel who work with animals in either research, testing, or teaching (faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and contract personnel).
To be in compliance with federal regulations and accreditation requirements, all personnel must be appropriately trained prior to beginning work with the animals. Principal investigators (PIs) are also responsible for ensuring their staff has completed all the necessary trainings.
At Rutgers University, we have seven mandatory requirements for all new users joining Rutgers:
1: Protocol amendment to add the new user
2: ARC clearance by Occupational Health and Safety
3: Online Orientation
4: Vivarium Procedures
5: Lab Safety by REHS (in person)
6: Online modules. One species-specific and one for euthanasia
7: Facility Tour (must complete 1-6 first).
All these items must be completed before receiving facility access and working in the vivarium. These mandatory trainings are also the foundation for additional trainings, some of which are mandatory depending on what’s in your protocol. You can find information on how to access and complete these trainings on our Training Website or directly access the Vivarium Access Form with your NetID
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Training Stats
From October-February
- 212 people have taken Vivarium procedures and onboarding training
- 30 of those people have taken basic rodent handling class
- 8 people have attended euthanasia re-training
- 30 people have had surgical observations, the final step in the surgical certification process
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- Approximately 6 animal caretakers and veterinary technicians currently attending our LAT AALAS certification training course
- 11 undergraduates enrolled in the IVT course
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The final week of January is AALAS Science Tech Week, a celebration that took place across both our New Brunswick and Newark campuses. These events were organized to honor and recognize the commitment and dedication of our invaluable animal care technicians and their contributions to advancing research endeavors.
During this year's Tech Week, we were fortunate to have generous contributions from vendors such as Tecniplast, WF Fish and Sons, and Lab Diet, who graciously donated lunch for the participants. This gesture not only provided a meal for our staff, but also served as a token of appreciation for the hard work and dedication exhibited by our team.
| One of the highlights of the week was the spirited "Family Feud" game, tailored specifically for our laboratory animal group. Each building formed a "family" and enthusiastically competed against one another, adding an element of friendly rivalry and camaraderie to the festivities. The families went all out in showcasing their team spirit by designing and decorating vibrant banners, adding to the excitement and festive atmosphere of the event. | Overall, the AALAS Tech Week was a success, fostering a sense of unity, recognition, and celebration within our animal care community while highlighting the crucial role these individuals play in furthering scientific research and innovation. | |
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! | | | | |
