Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) Advancing biomedical research through humane animal care.

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1 Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) Advancing biomedical research through humane animal care.

2 OUR HISTORY The Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) is one of the earliest laboratory animal medicine programs in the United States. ULAM was founded in 1962 at the University of Michigan (U-M) by its first director, Bennett Cohen, DVM. Dr. Cohen played an instrumental role in the development of resources that have shaped the role of laboratory animal medicine including the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, the primary reference on animal care and use, and the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care Inc. (AAALAC), which promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation. PARTNERS IN RESEARCH Today, ULAM continues to provide guidance for the institutional animal care and use program as a division of the U-M Medical School Office of Research. Under the leadership of ULAM Director, Robert Dysko, DVM, our unit has grown to nearly 200 laboratory animal care professionals including faculty veterinarians; veterinary residents; veterinary, husbandry, and research technicians; trainers; and support staff. Our staff provides daily animal care for the 250,000 animals used in research and teaching campus-wide. Fifty years after inception, our goal remains to support the needs of our biomedical research community by providing an optimal environment for their animals and research. ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE Our administration and finance office staff is on hand to help investigators navigate the costs associated with their animal research. Our staff can provide pricing and estimates for animal procurement; daily animal care; supplies; equipment and facility usage; and ULAM staff assistance with technical procedures. Assistance is available for animal orders from approved commercial vendors or the purchase of non-controlled drugs for animal research.

3 OUR FACILITIES ULAM manages animal housing facilities throughout U-M campus including Animal Biosafety Level (ABSL) 1, 2, or 3 Containment housing. Additionally, we operate an Immunodeficient Mouse Facility, which consists of four HEPA-filtered laminar flow {rooms within our most stringent SPF barrier. RESEARCH SERVICES Our Germ Free Laboratory is dedicated to creating and maintaining mice for research purposes in a completely germ-free environment. The laboratory is capable of housing genetically fragile transgenic mouse strains with no competing background of microorganisms, appropriate for investigations such as pathogenesis of infectious diseases and physiology of the gut. Experimental isolators and class II biological cabinets are available to investigators; experienced technicians perform all experiments to maintain the integrity of the environment. Animal Surgery Operating Rooms (ASOR) ASOR s knowledgeable and proficient staff offers surgical support by providing equipment and supplies as well as assistance with surgical preparation, monitoring, recovery, consultation, and training. The Animal Imaging Room (AIR) is available for radiographic procedures and is equipped with a fluoroscopy unit and table; and radiographic equipment and processor. The Rodent Health Surveillance Team (RHST) provides surveillance on all SPF barrier mouse rooms on a quarterly basis; semi-annually for all SPF barrier rat, guinea pig, and other rodent rooms; and annually for non-spf colonies. RHST technicians collect samples for viral and bacterial serology, and evaluation of endoparasites. The RHST provides guidance for investigators shipping animals to and from U-M; or receiving animals from other institutions or non-approved vendors.

4 { VETERINARY CARE OUR SERVICES We provide a variety of services to the biomedical research community at U-M including laboratory animal procurement and care; veterinary care; compliance oversight and monitoring; personnel training; and specialized research support. ULAM collaborates with the University Committee on the Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA), which fosters and oversees the responsible and humane care and justified use of animals used in research and instruction at U-M. Our 20+ veterinary faculty members and veterinary residents provide access to routine and emergency animal care 24 hours a day/7 days a week. ULAM veterinarians are available for consultation on matters related to the use and care of animals in research to investigators who are preparing grant applications or completing an Application to Use Vertebrate Animals in Research, Testing or Instruction. Our skilled licensed veterinary technicians support veterinary staff in clinical care and maintenance of animal health. Services include: Animal treatments for medical conditions Surgical preparation Large animal anesthesia, identification, drug/compound dosing, or euthanasia Post-surgical and post-anesthetic monitoring TRAINING CORE We offer the opportunity to learn the proper care and use of research animals through the Training Core. The UCUCA requires or recommends training based on the animal handling details of an approved protocol. Classes are offered as online, lecture, or workshop instruction, with an emphasis on humane treatment. Students are encouraged to return as needed to practice or learn techniques including: methods of handling/restraint; dosing and administration methods; euthanasia (CO2); blood and sample collection techniques; aseptic technique, surgical techniques, and incision closure.

5 HUSBANDRY CARE Daily observation is essential in ensuring laboratory animal health and well-being. Our husbandry technicians are the front-line for animal care, identifying potential issues affecting the health and welfare of the animals. Routine husbandry services include: Performing daily health checks Feeding, watering, and cage changing Providing social housing and enrichment Monitoring room maintenance and environmental conditions Facilitating on-campus animal transportation Reporting medical concerns to ULAM veterinary faculty members and licensed veterinary technicians BREEDING COLONY Our ULAM managed Breeding Colony provides a full-range of administrative and technical support to investigators who do not wish to manage their own breeding colonies. The colony is managed in a specific pathogen free (SPF) barrier environment. This enhances the optimal breeding environment for the animals by reducing noise disturbance, limiting room traffic, and minimizing potential contamination. Breeding colony services include setting up breeding consorts, weaning litters, and timed matings.

6 IN-VIVO ANIMAL CORE We are pleased to highlight our newest service, the In-vivo Animal Core (IVAC). IVAC serves as a research resource in support of early, preclinical stage, translational research. The design and interpretation of preclinical studies require specialized expertise which we can now offer through enhanced facilities, staff and faculty. IVAC absorbs and expands upon two existing, well-known services within ULAM: the Pathology Cores for Animal Research (PCAR) and the Technical Services Team (TST). IVAC services include: Project Consultation Animal Modeling Optimization Dose Range Finding Studies Efficacy, Mode of Action, and Carcinogenicity Studies In-vivo Lead Optimization Study Design, Conduct, Implementation, and Reporting In-vivo Animal Handling Test Article/Substance Administration Clinical and Anatomic Pathology Evaluation (Paraffin & Frozen) Histopathology, Immunohistochemistry and Immunofluorescence Veterinary Pathology Reporting Peer Review Pathology Consultation Blood Collection Terminal Procedure Support Animal ID and Genotyping Assistance Tumor Monitoring Euthanasia and Necropsy Service Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine phone: (734) fax: (734) ulam-questions@umich.edu web: research.med.umich.edu/ulam Scan to learn more about ULAM

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What are all these acronyms & abbreviations? 2. What is the Animal Welfare Assurance Number for Rosalind Franklin University for grant submission? 3. Do I need an Animal Protocol?