Animal Models for Microbiome Research Advancing Basic and Translational Science: Proceedings of a Workshop (2018) / Chapter Skim
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6 Establishing and Evolving Gnotobiotic Facilities
6 Establishing and Evolving Gnotobiotic Facilities
Pages 44-51
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From page 44... ...
Hand explained that having investigators purchase individual gnotobiotic animals from large breeders was not fiscally sustainable, citing an average $500 cost for a single axenic mouse. Breeding mice in house would allow for less expensive long-term research.
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From page 45... ...
Betty Theriault, associate professor of surgery and clinical veterinarian in the Animal Resources Center at The University of Chicago, noted that having a gnotobiotic facility creates an environment for collaborative studies with investigators from other institutions who bring ideas and funding to her home institution. The one downside of becoming a center for collaboration, she said, is that it requires developing more memoranda of understanding, material transfer agreements, and training investigators from those outside institutions.
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From page 46... ...
"If one facility gets contaminated, we will still have germ-free mice on the other side that we can repopulate our facility with." Other notable features of the facility include placing the autoclaves in separate spaces away from the isolators to reduce noise and stress for the animals, security features to prevent unauthorized and untrained personnel from entering, and a heating and ventilation system that will vent positive to the hallway, ensuring that no outside microbes are brought in via air circulation. Sartor noted that, if possible, one should plan a new facility with expansion in mind, so that the facility can be upgraded as technology develops, the needs of users evolve, and the science advances.
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From page 47... ...
When considering how to incorporate various pieces of test equipment into an isolator, Theriault recalls the answer Philip Trexler, the inventor of the first flexible-film isolator, gave when asked that question: instead of getting the equipment into an isolator, wrap the isolator bubble around the test equipment and the animals. She briefly described several approaches to maintaining sterility when transferring animals for imaging or surgery, including the use of a sterilized biological safety cabinet in the gnotobiotic animal facility and training investigators to use this setup (Theriault et al., 2015)
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From page 48... ...
A gnotobiotic technician is a highly skilled staff member deserving a higher salary than a standard animal facility technician, which Sartor also emphasized. Another element of success is having a committed core user base.
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From page 49... ...
In fact, she advocates that researchers include pilot trials to assess anesthetic regimens in germ-free and gnotobiotic animals as part of their study design. Given the challenges of operating these types of facilities, and the fact that an increasing number of institutions want to establish microbiome research programs, Theriault wondered if it was time to consider establishing regional gnotobiotic and microbiome centers of expertise and excellence.
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From page 50... ...
To explore how a broader physiological infectious history would alter the immune system and immunological responses in inbred mice, Jameson and his collaborators are generating and working with what they call "dirty mice." They house wild mice or mice from pet stores with genetically modified ones to produce dirty mice. "We know that these wild and pet store animals have been exposed to many pathogens, some of which we can define, and have their own particular blend of commensal microbes," said Jameson.
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From page 51... ...
Jameson noted that gene expression analysis showed that co-housing pet store animals with standard SPF mice produced a profile that compared well with that seen in adult human blood, including the activation of type 1 interferon-inducing genes. Regarding animal welfare, 20 percent mortality among B6 mice following exposure to pet store animals is a concern, though the mortality was much higher in BALB/c mice.
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