Animal Core

Animal Core- Yale MPMOD Summary The overall objective of the Yale Metabolic Phenotyping in Live Models of Obesity and Diabetes (MPMOD) Animal Core is to provide state-of-the-art husbandry, health care, expedited quarantine, and biosecure housing and procedure space for assessing and maintaining mice submitted for phenotyping. The MPMOD Animal Core will continue to reside within the Yale Animal Resources Center (YARC) and will build on the experience gained from metabolic phenotyping > 10,000 mice as the Animal Core for Yale’s Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center (MMPC). Precise phenotyping depends significantly on the health status of animal subjects. Stable housing and husbandry minimize the influence of exogenous factors that could impact phenotyping results and reproducibility. Mice submitted to the MPMOD will share space with cohorts from microbiologically diverse sources. They, as well as mice housed in resident Yale colonies, must be protected against potential cross-infection by adventitious agents. MPMOD investigators also must have ready access to the mice soon after they arrive to begin phenotyping, allowing animals to be studied at younger ages and minimizing costs associated with the phenotyping process. To address these requirements efficiently and effectively, the Animal Core will provide facilities and services relevant to: 1) importing mice for metabolic phenotyping using a risk stratified approach; 2) determining the microbiological profile of each imported cohort (within two weeks); 3) providing stable, biocontainment housing, husbandry and comprehensive health care for mice for the duration required for the phenotyping exam; 4) reporting and advising MPMOD clients, Core/Sub-Core Directors and MPOD Director on the health status of submitted mice and to facilitate other potentially applicable services available to advance phenotyping. The Animal Core will also participate in developing/revising MPMOD consortium guidelines for animal care.