Research Core Facilities Laboratory animals
Core Facilities

Laboratory animal core facility

The Laboratory animal core facility forms a part of the Biomedical technology complex at BMC, and it has been designed and built in collaboration with international experts with the aim to follow the standards for modern experimental animal facility. The facility opened the doors in the middle of 2016 and serves as a platform enabling scientists to bring their research into in vivo models.

The main area within the facility is specific pathogen free (SPF) and currently is the only in vivo experimental laboratory in Latvia corresponding these requirements. Within the SPF area (180 m2), there are several functionally and microbiologically isolated units – i.e., quarantine, individual animal holding rooms for mice, rats, immunologically deficient/compromised mice, and an area for using mouse models of infectious diseases, each having adjacently located procedure/surgery rooms. Within this area, rodents are maintained exclusively in individually ventilated cages (overall capacity >1000 IVCs). Outside the SPF area, there is a conventional open cage room for non-SPF rodent housing and an adjacent procedure room.

The necessary level of biocontainment and bioexclusion within the facility is ensured by IVCs, pass-through autoclaves, automated cage washer, air shower, BLS2 level laminar hoods and cage changing stations, hydrogen peroxide vaporiser as well as specialised and HEPA filter controlled regulated ventilation system. The microbiological monitoring of rodents is performed by ENVIGO Health Monitoring servicesaccording to FELASA recommendations.

Provided services:

  • Mice and rat housing in individually ventilated cages (Tecniplast) in compliance with relevant EU animal welfare rules
  • Surgery rooms and equipment (isoflurane anaesthesia system, intraoperative physiological monitoring system, glass bead steriliser etc.)
  • Quarantine
  • Designated rooms for immunodeficient mice housing and procedures/surgery (individually ventilated cages, BLS2 laminar flow cabinet, isoflurane anaesthesia system etc.)
  • Designated rooms for housing and procedures/surgery for mouse models for infectious diseases (individually ventilated cages, BLS2 laminar flow cabinet, isoflurane anaesthesia system, dedicated autoclave etc.)
  • Training of scientific personnel on the procedures with laboratory rodents
  • IVIS Spectrum In Vivo Imaging System (PerkinElmer)
  • Contract research

 

Responsible personnel:

Zane Kalniņa , Dr. biol.

Head of the Laboratory animal facility, senior researcher
Phone: +371 26112733
E-mail: zane@biomed.lu.lv

Facility management. Animal Welfare body (head). Contract research.

Dace Skrastiņa , Dr. biol.

Leading expert in Laboratory animal science, senior researcher
Phone: +371 67808200
E-mail: daceskr@biomed.lu.lv

Researcher support. Contract research.


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Mājas lapas izstrādi finansēja ERAF 2.1.1.2. aktivitātes projekts Nr. 2010/0196/2DP/2.1.1.2.0/10/APIA/VIAA/004 "Latvijas biomedicīnas pētījumu integrācija Eiropas zinātnes telpā".