Animal Research Facility

The state-of-the-art animal research facility (2,060 square feet), directed by Kap J. Lee, D.V.M., M.S., ACLAM (American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine) Diplomat, is located at the northwest side of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences (occupied September 2001). There are 10 animal rooms, one quarantine room, two bio-hazardous facilities with a common water shower (one with Class 2 Biological Safety cabinet and Chemical Hood and the other has Class 2 Biological Safety Cabinet), and one radio isotope room equipped with a chemical hood and a water shower. Four out of 10 animal rooms have center floor drains that can accommodate large animals if necessary. There is a necropsy room equipped with a fume hood in the ant-room and two small tabletop fume hoods in the procedure room. There is a surgical suite composed of a preparation room, a scrub room, a recovery room and a large surgery room.

Two of the 10 animal rooms have Allentown volume-controlled exit air ducts for individual ventilated caging system. This system will provides a barrier between cages and minimize human exposure to animal allergens. All animal rooms are provided with an Edstrom watering system, which sanitizes the drinking water by a series of filtration and acidification.

There is a disease surveillance laboratory equipped with a SterilGard Hood and a Tissue Trim Hood. There is a cage washroom with two rack and cage washers equipped with bottle washer. The clean side cage washroom has a pass-through autoclave, a bedding dispenser, and water bottle filler, and the soiled side cage washroom has a bedding dumping station.

There are storage rooms for beddings, food, cages, a walk-in deep freezer for carcasses, and loading docks for clean and dirty. There are locker facilities and an employee lounge. There is an office for the secretary and the director, and a conference room.

The floors of the animal rooms are covered with a 1/4-inch epoxy aggregate skid-resistant material. The rooms have 12 to 40 100 percent fresh air exchanges per hour with no recirculation. The animal room temperatures can be controlled between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity between 30 percent and 80 percent. The facility has a 100 percent back-up system in the event of electrical failure.

Each animal room has its own supply and exhaust ducts equipped with a VAV (Variable Air Volume) box which controls air flow temperature and humidity. There are 13 surveillance cameras directed to the doors and hallways. The University has a warning system that can alarm the UND Facility Monitor Personnel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The duty monitor contacts the on-duty maintenance mechanic, UND police and Center for Biomedical Research director for any abnormalities.