Rodent Breeding Unit
Responsible person: Prof. Aleš Hampl, D.V.M., CSc.
Rodent breeding, also referred to as "core" breeding, is an essential element of the Preclinical Centre. Its purpose and function is the long-term maintenance of selected strains of mice and rats at the highest possible standard of microbial purity (defined as Specific Pathogen Free – SPF). This standard is achieved through a combination of technical breeding solutions and a special operating regime. The breeding rooms will be located behind a positive pressure barrier, and all animals will be kept in individually ventilated cages. Material can only pass through the barrier via specially adapted passages, which also include large-capacity autoclaves with the option of low-temperature sterilization of material with hydrogen peroxide. Staff may only enter the breeding facility via a decontamination loop (filter) equipped with a water shower. Animals may only be placed in the core breeding facility through a procedure based on the transfer of embryos created in vitro by fertilization, never as live animals. For this purpose, the core breeding facility has its own facilities in the form of a room for transferring embryos into the bodies of surrogate mothers and for their post-operative care. The core breeding facility is accessible only to dedicated personnel; entry by other persons is strictly prohibited. The core breeding facility is used only for the propagation of animals, and no animal experiments may be performed there. The core breeding facility communicates with the experimental animal breeding facility via a pass that allows one-way transfer of animals from the core breeding facility to the experimental breeding facility.
Animals bred under these conditions will serve as a source of animals for educational and scientific research purposes. It can be assumed that in many cases these will be genetically unique strains of animals that will not be available from other sources in the Czech Republic or elsewhere in the world.
What services/products will the unit provide?
- breeding and keeping animals in SPF conditions
(specific details must be consulted in advance with Prof. Hampl; email: ahampl@med.muni.cz)