BRL 10-24-2002

Biologic Resources Laboratory

According to the UIC-ACP, "The BRL is the unit responsible for implementing the UIC Animal Care Program, and managing animal care facilities in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The BRL's functions include procurement, care and maintenance of laboratory animals and the provision of professional advice to research and teaching staff."

The centralized animal facility of the Biologic Resources Laboratory currently has 87,000 sq. ft. of animal housing and support space. The facility is organized on three floors. The basement contains housing for small farm animals, dogs and cats. In addition, the basement contains the surgery and radiology support services, the machine shop and cage wash room. The first floor contains the diagnostic laboratory, and the small animal (rodents, rabbits, etc.) and amphibian/reptile holding rooms, procedural rooms and the necropsy room. Each small animal room contains at least two "Illinois Cubicles," a procedural area and a chronic holding area. The third floor houses the primate colony. Today, the facility houses four species of macaques, one of the country's largest colonies of breeding baboons, and a colony of aged rhesus macaques. In addition to the central facility, the BRL manages a 3,600 sq. ft. barrier facility for housing rodents in the Molecular Biology Research Building. This facility contains 11 animal housing rooms and three procedural rooms and was designed so that all manipulation of the animals can take place within the barrier.

In 1999, a major event occurred at UIC that impacted upon the existing Animal Care and Use Program. That event involved the funding of the new eight-story 200 million dollar College of Medicine Research Building (COMRB). One of the driving forces in determining the final site for this building was the need to have tunnel access to the Biologic Resources Laboratory (BRL) so that the campus could maintain its commitment to the highly centralized program that has been in place since 1957. Once the site was selected, it became apparent that the ideal configuration of the COMRB would be a block type design. This decision meant that the BRL would have to be remodeled requiring the relocation of key support areas, demolition of part of the BRL, and construction of new animal facility space in the basement of the COMRB that will, in effect, be an extension of the existing BRL basement. Work began in June of 2000 on the renovation of the existing BRL and was completed in May 2002. The new space in COMRB will be available for occupancy in 2005. When the new COMRB is completed, it will attach to the BRL at the basement level. This new space will contain a barrier facility with 18 rooms for housing rodents and 8 procedural rooms, new space for housing large animals and 8 procedural rooms outside the barrier.

Each floor of the BRL is managed by a team consisting of a Supervisor of Laboratory Animal Care, a board certified Laboratory Animal Veterinarian and a postdoctoral fellow. This management team oversees and works closely with a staff of certified laboratory animal care technicians. Working in collaboration with the investigators and their staff, the BRL staff provides support service for a wide variety of experimental protocols.

The UIC Animal Care Program is accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and has consistently received positive evaluations from representatives of the Food and Drug Administration, the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health and several commercial pharmaceutical and contract laboratories.

Organizationally, the BRL is divided into four major operational units (Administrative, Support, Professional and Technical Services), which under the direction of the Director, Dr. Taylor Bennett, work in concert to achieve their mission of providing quality and timely research support service. The Director's office is supported by one employee, Ms. Doris Thomas, who is responsible for managing all the personnel and payroll files, the various activities of the administrative staff, the coordination of many of BRL internal and external programs and is the person to see if you need a key to an animal room.

There are two major subdivisions in this unit which include:

1. Business Office – The BRL Business Office is responsible for ordering, receiving and recharging all of the animal and animal related purchases on the UIC campus. This unit also maintains all the business records necessary to establish charges, file appropriate reports and monitor the ACC policies of the UIC.

2. Building Maintenance – Included in this unit is the facility machine shop, which is a full-service shop for the repair and maintenance of the facility's equipment. Working with the Coordinator for Laboratory Animal Care, Mr. Ostrega coordinates the initiation, oversight and completion of building maintenance and renovation.

   Support Services

There are two major subdivisions in this unit under the Direction of the Coordinator of Laboratory Animal Care, Mr. Jimmy Bowers, which include:

1. Animal Husbandry - Reporting to the Associate Director is the Coordinator for Laboratory Animal Care, Mr. Jimmy Bowers, who oversees the animal husbandry program on the campus. This includes scheduling and supervising approximately 30 employees, systematic review of animal husbandry related S.O.P.s, inspection of all satellite facilities (10), assignment of space and coordinating veterinary care and animal husbandry functions. His office is in Room 127D and he can be reached at 996-7052. The animal care staff at UIC undergo extensive on-the-job and didactic training, and the vast majority are certified at one of several levels by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. Assisting the Coordinator are the Supervisors of Laboratory Animal Care. Mr. Joe Wroblewski oversees the operation of the first floor or small animal area (mice and rats) and all the rodent satellite facilities on the west campus except for MBRB. His office is in Room 127B and he can be reached at 996-1218. Ms. Debra Draper oversees the operation of the basement or large animal area and the maintenance of rabbits and amphibians. Her office is in Room 3 and she can be reached at 996-6857. Mr. Sam Rosado oversees the operation of the primate colony. His office is in Room 225 and he can be reached at 996-7053.
    

2. Building Service - The two BRL Building Service Workers report to the Coordinator and provide routine housekeeping service to the support and service areas of the BRL.

There are three major subdivisions in this unit under the direction of the Associate Director, Dr. Jeff Fortman, which include:

1. Research Services - Involves the professional oversight of the Experimental Surgery/Radiology Service, the antibody production service, management of the primate breeding colony and consultation with investigators.

The Experimental Surgery/Radiology service is under the Direction of Dr. Lisa Halliday. This service provides day-to-day oversight of the BRL's centralized surgical support service. The oversight includes providing medical support for the surgery service, working with investigators in designing and implementing anesthetic and surgical protocols and planning the postoperative care program. The veterinary staff can also provide surgical support for investigators who do not have surgical experience or when appropriate, arrange the necessary training. Dr. Halliday can be reached at 996-6857.

The antibody production service is operated under a master protocol approved by the UIC Animal Care Committee and is directed by Dr. Jim Artwohl who with the assistance of the veterinary technicians does the immunizations and collects the blood samples. Since this service is covered by a master protocol, investigators need only submit a letter requesting a modification of the master protocol and work can be started immediately. To learn more about this service call Dr. Artwohl at 996-1217. Charges for this service include the cost of the animal, the daily per diem, supplies, and the technician's time.

The BRL primate support service is managed by Dr. Terry Hewett. This service was established in 1969 to provide housing for old world primates and is now in the position to support most primate needs of the investigator. Quarantine facilities are maintained separate from the main colony. Stabilized and conditioned baboons from neonates to adults are available for research purposes. Timed baboon pregnancies are the specialty of the facility. They are available to both intra and extramural investigators. The technical support staff in this facility has extensive experience in the handling and management of primates, and the techniques and systems developed in this facility have been adopted in institutions all over the world. The veterinary staff provides assistance in organizing the resources necessary for working with nonhuman primates as well as the medical and surgical support for the breeding colony. Dr. Hewett can be reached at 996-7051.

Consultation with investigators in the planning of research proposals, and the implementation of approved protocols and the evaluation of ongoing protocols is a key component of the research support service. The veterinary staff also review all Protocols for Animal Use and discuss them with the investigators and advise the Animal Care Committee as to the issues involved in these discussions. To arrange for a consultation with a member of the veterinary staff regarding completion of a protocol, developing a budget, arranging for special support of a project or obtaining assistance and/or training with a procedure, contact the clinical veterinarian who works with the species involved. For assistance with rodents, rabbits, amphibians and reptiles contact Dr. Jim Artwohl at 996-1217. For assistance with dogs, cats, small farm animals and birds contact Dr. Lisa Halliday at 996-6857. For assistance with non-human primates contact Dr. Terry Hewett at 996-7051.

 

2. Veterinary Services – Includes the Clinical Medicine and Pathology Services. The Clinical Medicine service is responsible for the daily management of preventive and diagnostic medicine programs and the postoperative tracking program. It is managed by the staff veterinarians and the postdoctoral fellows. The service also provides support to research programs in that many projects create conditions that are either managed solely by this unit on a fee for service basis or in consultation with the investigator and their staff in which case the veterinary responsibility is one of consultation, training and oversight.

Small Animal Clinical Veterinarian:    Dr. Jim Artwohl, Room 186B, 996-1218.

Large Animal Clinical Veterinarian:    Dr. Lisa Halliday, Room 9, 996-6857.

Primate Clinical Veterinarian:            Dr. Terry Hewett, Room 206, 996-7051.

       

The Pathology Services unit supports the veterinary services unit by providing routine and specialized pathology support. Support to investigators is provided on a fee for service basis. Tissues are sent to the College of Veterinary Medicine on the UIUC campus for processing. The cost of processing, imbedding and sectioning can vary depending on the case and specific needs of the investigator. For information on cost and pathologist support contact Dr. Jim Artwohl at 996-1217.

 

3. Educational Services – Involves teaching technician training classes and continuing education topics, three graduate courses (GC 470, 471 and 473), special individualized workshops, a bi-monthly newsletter (BRL Bulletin), and the postdoctoral training program in laboratory animal medicine. In addition, the veterinary staff has developed a UIC User’s Manual, which can be accessed on this website.

There are three major subdivisions in this unit encompassing the veterinary technician services, which include:

1. Laboratory Services – Provides clinical laboratory services to the veterinary staff and investigators. The quality assurance program is also maintained by the laboratory staff. The laboratory has specialized equipment providing a full line of hematology and blood chemistry services. The microbiology service uses the API System to perform aerobic and anaerobic microbiology. A complete parasitology service is also available and provides a full line of diagnostic parameters. For additional information on the services provided or to schedule laboratory services, contact Ms. Maria Lang at 996-2404 or stop by the laboratory in Room 186 F.

    

2. Surgery and Radiology Service – Provides technical support for the investigators and veterinarians using the centralized surgery/radiology service. This support includes day-to-day management of the service, induction and monitoring of anesthesia, and management of the initial phase of the postoperative care program. The experimental surgery has three well-equipped surgical suites for survival surgical procedures and seven suites for non-survival surgical procedures. Complete instrument packs and a variety of support equipment are available. The Surgery Staff of Veterinary Technician-Anesthesiologists work under the supervision of a veterinarian and provide animal preparation, basic and special anesthesia and technical assistance during surgery and in the post-operative care program. To obtain more information on the surgery service or to schedule operating time call 996-6857 or stop by Room 9.

   The radiology service provides and performs routine and specialized procedures in support of the veterinary staff and the research programs. To support this service, the BRL maintains a 300ma 100 KVP Universal diagnostic unit with a 103 LPI grid in a float top table.

    

3. Technical Assistance – Provides assistance to the investigative and veterinary staff with technical procedures such as antibody production, routine preventive dentistry, support of specific research projects and support of the veterinary services unit. To arrange for assistance from the veterinary technicians contact Ms. Maria Lang at 996-2404.

    

Introduction – Starting a project that involves the use of animals in research at UIC is basically a two step process. The first step is getting a UIC Protocol for Animal Use approved by the UIC Animal Care Committee. Information on the process can be found at www.uic.edu/depts/ovcr/oprs/acc/index.html.

Purchasing Animals – UIC policy requires that all animals be procured through the BRL. The BRL maintains price lists from suppliers that include the cost of animals and shipping or freight charges. This information can be useful when writing grant proposals and preparing budgets.

The office also has catalogues from suppliers that tell what type of animals are provided and special services that are available such as timed pregnant females, surgically modified animals, animal tissues and biological samples.

The choice of vendor and the animal specifications are the responsibility of the principal investigator. For questions regarding specific animal models or information on sources for obtaining animals, call a member of the veterinary staff. The veterinary staff receives comprehensive health status reports from the vendors, which are used to monitor the quality of animals from each supplier. If animals or animal products are obtained from sources whose quality is unknown to the veterinary staff, the most recent quality control or health monitoring reports must be reviewed before animals can be accepted for housing. If appropriate information is not available, the animals will be quarantined and tested before being allowed into the general animal population. All quarantine costs for the animals will be charged to the investigator.

It is recommended that members of the senior veterinary and/or supervisory staff be consulted prior to ordering nonhuman primates, dogs, pigs or other animals that require special housing. In general, the space for housing rodents and rabbits is not a problem, but if you require a large number or are significantly increasing the size of your standing order, you should consult with the veterinarian or supervisor concerning space. If special housing such as metabolic cages are required, advance arrangements should be made to assure availability.

Opening an Account – Before placing an order, an account must be established with the BRL. An account can be established by proof of full approval of an ACC protocol and providing pertinent billing information. This billing information includes a UFAS account number. If another institution is to be billed, a purchase order will be required. If you are unsure as to what you may need, have your departmental business manager call the BRL office staff at 996-7040. Once an account is opened, a BRL account number is assigned. More than one ACC number can be charged against an account. When this occurs each ACC number is handled as a sub account (A, B, C, etc.); however, if billing information is needed for each ACC number, separate accounts should be opened. These accounts can be charged to the same funding source. Once an account has been opened, any changes to the information provided (source of funds, ACC number, individuals approved to make charges, etc.) must be made in writing.

Ordering – The UIC-ACP states, "All animals used in research or teaching shall be procured only through the BRL." The BRL staff is available to take orders during regular business office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) over the telephone (996-7040) or written orders can be submitted to the BRL office, Room 101A or Faxed to 996-8065. An electronic ordering system will soon be implemented for rodents and rabbits. Only species that are listed on an approved protocol can be ordered. If a different species is required, a letter of modification justifying the change has to be reviewed and approved by the Animal Care Committee prior to the placement of an order.

Only orders for rodents free of viral antibodies (VAF) will be accepted by the BRL Business Office. Exceptions to this policy must be approved by a member of the veterinary staff. Special housing may be required for conventional animals, and the cost of this housing will be charged to the investigator. When ordering large animals, such as dogs, pigs and cats, whether they are to be random source or purpose-bred animals must be stipulated.

Receiving – All animals arrive at either the BRL, MBRB, SES or BSB animal facilities. If the animals are to be used immediately upon arrival, indicate that the animals will be picked up when you place the order. Since the per diem charges cover the cost of running the receiving dock, a pick up fee of $3.00 is charged. The BRL does not mark up the cost of animals, but does add a $3.00 telephone and $2.00 order charge to each order. Once an order has been placed, the BRL office is given an estimated date of delivery. If a problem arises with the availability of requested animals, the BRL Business Office will work with the company to resolve the situation. Investigators are notified as to the arrival of each animal order by either the Receiving Dock Clerk (996-1222) or the respective area supervisor. An examination of the shipping crate and animals is performed by BRL staff. Any abnormalities such as damaged crates, diseased animals or other unsatisfactory conditions are reported to the supplier and to the investigator.

Introduction – Since the BRL is a service unit that relies principally upon funds from income to operate, a system to accurately recover costs has been developed. Since the system is managed by humans, mistakes may occasionally occur. If questions arise concerning a bill, the BRL Business Office staff (Ike) will be glad to answer them.

Billing Documents – Each month the computerized billing system electronically generates and sends a voucher to each investigator with an active BRL account and anyone else the investigator requests (Departmental Business Manager). The electronic voucher contains a detailed breakdown of each transaction that occurs under the following charge categories: Sales, Service, Miscellaneous Sales and Animal Per Diem.

Sales, Service and Miscellaneous Charges – Sales charges are generated when supplies that the BRL stocks (syringes, gloves, etc.) are charged to an account. Service charges are generated when a service is provided, such as technical assistance, injection fee, etc. Miscellaneous Sales charges are those that are not on a BRL published list of charges. All costs for animals appear here. Animal charges are not processed until the BRL receives the actual bill from the suppliers.

Animal Per Diem Charges – This section of the printout contains the beginning and ending inventory numbers, which are based upon a physical count. The number of animals added or sacrificed including the date of transaction are itemized. The computer uses the beginning inventory number and the "Add" and "Subtracts" to determine the daily census and this number is used to calculate the total animal/cage days. Total animal/cage days times the per diem results in the actual charges for each species. Prior to finalizing the per diem charges for each account, the actual ending inventory (physical count) is compared to the calculated figure (computer count) and any discrepancies corrected. Since the most common mistake is the failure of users to turn in subtract cards, this step actually prevents extra charges for nonexistent animals being billed.

Gaining Access – Access to the BRL requires the use an electronic key card system, which utilizes your ID card. To have your ID Card encoded, stop by the front office, and the staff can get the necessary information for granting you access to the BRL. To gain access to the building you must be listed on a UIC Protocol for Animal Use form, so bring your ID and have the number of the protocol upon which your name appears. In addition, you must undergo an orientation session with the veterinarian with oversight responsibility of the animal species on which you are approved to work.

Maintaining Security – Anyone using the BRL has a responsibility to contribute to its security. This includes not lending your ID to others who have not had theirs properly encoded. It may seem a trivial matter, but every entry is recorded by the computer and printouts are reviewed periodically to monitor after hours activity. They are also reviewed any time unexpected situations arise.

The exit process is also important for assuring the integrity of the security system. There are two important things to remember regarding leaving the BRL:

1. Only leave through a designated exit. The two metal doors on the north side of the building across from Room 121 are for emergency use only.

2. When leaving the BRL between the following hours:

   10:00pm - 6:00am                    Monday-Friday

        6:00pm - 6:00am                      Saturday - Sunday & Holidays.

You must call the police at 996-1212 and advise them that you are leaving and from which door you will be exiting. Failure to do so will activate the alarm and the police will respond to check it out. Specific instructions and maps directing you to the nearest phone are posted throughout the building at each exit.

Proposal Submission – Various funding agencies have different requirements for submitting proposals involving the use of animals. Well in advance of the deadline for submission you should review those requirements and collect the available information so that you do not face any unexpected delays when you put the package together.

The NIH OPRR Letter of Assurance Number for UIC is A3460-01 and the expiration date is 07-31-07.

The USDA Registration number for UIC is 33-R-0018. A copy of the most recent inspection report from the USDA can be obtained by calling Doris Thomas at 996-1223 or Mary Bowman at 996-7427.

UIC has been continuously accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) since May 18, 1970. A copy of a letter from AAALAC attesting to that fact can be obtained by calling Doris Thomas at 996-1223 or Mary Bowman at 996-7427.

When submitting an NIH grant involving the use of animals you should:

1. Check "yes" on Item 5 "Vertebrate Animals." In 5a, "IACUC approval date", you should put the date included in the letter from the ACC approving your original protocol or the latest date that your protocol received an annual continuation.

2. Place the OPRR Assurance Number (A 3460-01) in 5b. Section on Research Design and Methods – In the Section on Research Design and Methods item f asks for specific information on the use of animals. Most of that information can be extracted from your UIC Protocol for Animal Use. Item f,6 ask you to, "Provide information on the Veterinary Care of the Animals Involved." A standard answer to that question would be, "The University of Illinois at Chicago is accredited by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care - International (AAALAC) and its veterinary care program has been designed to meet or exceed the recommendations of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The program of veterinary care is managed by the veterinary staff of the Biologic Resources Laboratory (BRL), which is composed of 6 senior veterinarians all of whom are diplomats of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM) and three postdoctoral fellows who are participating the UIC Dual Track Training Program in Laboratory Animal Medicine.

Animal Costs – The cost of animals varies from supplier to supplier so you should contact either Tracy or Marysol at 996-7040 to get the current catalogue price. Do not forget to include the cost of shipment and any box or handling charges in your budgets.

Per Diem Costs – The per diem costs can be found at www.brl.uic.edu/appendix_d.htm. This schedule of rates also includes three year projected rates and you should use the projected rates when submitting proposals for funding. When figuring your cost for housing animals do not forget to include a reasonable acclimation period. Studies show that rodents require a 3-5 day acclimation period to return to normal body weight and to adapt to new surroundings. Species that must either be quarantined (monkeys) or conditioned (dogs, farm animals, etc.) may require an additional period of housing that could require up to an additional 60 days of per diem (monkeys), so consult with a member of the veterinary staff when developing your budgets.

Laboratory Costs – A list of laboratory costs can be found at www.brl.uic.edu/appendix_b.html. For more detailed information on the cost of laboratory services contact Maria Lang at 996-2404.

Surgical Costs – A list of surgical service fees can be found at www.brl.uic.edu/appendix_c.html. In developing a budget that in involves the use of the BRL surgery facilities, you should consult with Dr. Halliday or Kim Lampa at 996-6857.

Technical or Professional Support – If you will need members of the BRL technical or professional staff to provide assistance or treat animals with protocol related or created conditions, contact a member of the veterinary staff to assist you in preparing the budget.

Purchase of Supplies or Materials – If you will be purchasing supplies from the BRL surgery service to support your research protocol, contact one of the veterinary technicians at 996-6857 for the current prices. Remember for many pharmaceutical agents, the products sold to veterinarians are generally less expensive than those sold as human products.

Purchase of Controlled Substances – If you will be using controlled substances in your research protocol, you will have to obtain both a Federal and State Research DEA number. This process takes several months to complete, and the BRL cannot sell controlled substances. The staff can administer them for a fee and request for such service must be made in advance. The number to contact for the Federal application is 312-353-7875 and for the State 312-814-4573.

Special Diets – If you need special diets, please discuss this need with the veterinarian who contacted you concerning your Protocol for Animal Use. Special diets must be ordered well in advance, the investigator is responsible for monitoring the inventory and all special diet orders must request the vendor to include the milling date. The BRL has limited refrigerated storage space for special diets. If large quantities are ordered or used, special arrangements will have to be made for storing the diets.