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Special Double Issue! March/June 2004 Volume 11 Issue 1
2003—THE YEAR IN REVIEW
As a member or the University of Michigan animal care and use community, you probably already know that ours is
a large and diverse program. Here are a few facts and figures you may not know:
Number of Animals Used for Research and Education in 2003 317,972
Average Daily Animal Census 125,731
Average Daily Mouse Census 91,093
Annual Number of Funding Awards from External Sponsors for Projects Involving Animals 629
External Sponsor Award Dollars for Projects Involving Animals $182,051,358
Dollars Spent to Buy Animals Annually $3,067,500
Number of Buildings on Campus in Which Animals are Housed 35
Number of ULAM Employees 135
Number of Veterinary Clinical Cases Annually 13,449
Number of Principal Investigators with Currently Approved Animal Use Projects 517
Number of Current UCUCA-Approved Animal Use Protocols 927
Number of Protocol Changes Approved Annually 779
Number of New/Renewal Protocols Approved Annually 343
Number of Personnel Involved in Animal Care or Use (researchers, technicians, students, etc) 5,162
Number of Personnel Trained Annually by UCUCA 2,037
For more information about the University of Michigan animal care and use program, contact the UCUCA Office at
(734) 763‐8028, or ucuca.office@umich.edu.
AND NOW...
IN WITH THE NEW!!
this issue… The past...facts and figures from 2003!
The present...new faces, places, policy updates, and more!
The future...smart vivariums and upcoming training classes!
Page
The Backbone is a quarterly publication of the University Committee on Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA) 1
FROM PARKING LOT TO SCIENCE HOT SPOT:
THE NEW LIFE SCIENCES INSTITUTE
By Chris Katz
Assistant Manager of Husbandry Services, ULAM
A little over three years ago, work began on the Palmer Drive Development Project. We all witnessed the digging of
a huge hole where there was once a parking lot and a couple of small buildings. We kept watching as construction
progressed and new buildings were raised. One of these new buildings is the Life Sciences Institute building (LSI),
which opened its doors in September of 2003. Standing at 210 Washtenaw, LSI is a 235,000 gross square foot facility
consisting of six floors and a mechanical penthouse. The facility is designed to accommodate the newly created Life
Sciences Institute, which functions to enhance education, basic research, and translational research in the life sci‐
ences at the University of Michigan.
The animal vivarium in LSI opened its doors for animals to move in starting October 15, 2003. Today we have a
population of nearly 3,000 cages of mice, which puts us at about 20% capacity! The 40,500 square foot animal facility
inhabits nearly the entire first floor of the building. Each animal holding room is equipped with supply and exhaust
plenums that are connected to the building HVAC system and service individually ventilated cage racks. The 12
main animal housing rooms can each hold 840 ventilated mouse cages. The other side of the facility consists of four
cubicle suites with a total of 23 individual quarantine cubicles. The vivarium also has four rooms equipped with
trench drains, making them suitable for housing aquatic species like zebra fish. The majority of the remaining
vivarium space is allocated for the cage wash rooms and procedure rooms.
A unique feature of the LSI facility is the incorporation of animal procedure rooms. All research procedures per‐
formed on animals must be carried out in the procedure rooms within the vivarium. No animals are allowed to
leave the facility to go to labs, which will help reduce the chances of bringing contamination into the barrier. Cage
wash consists of a state‐of‐the‐art tunnel washer equipped with a vacuum‐operated automatic bedding dispenser on
the clean side, and a vacuum‐operated bedding removal system on the soiled side. Soiled bedding is carried from
the dump station inside the cage wash room to a dedicated dumpster located on the loading dock.
Another feature created with the opening of LSI is the Animal User’s Group. This is a group that consists of repre‐
sentatives from all labs utilizing animals in their research, LSI staff, and ULAM staff. Prior to the building’s open‐
ing, the Group held multiple meetings to establish the standard operating procedures to be followed in the LSI
vivarium. Now that the facility is up and running, the group continues to have monthly meetings. The monthly
meeting is an open forum to discuss any issues that have come up in the use and operation of the facility. It is a
great time to ask questions and/or get answers that help to maximize the usefulness of the vivarium and the proce‐
dure rooms.
LSI truly is a beautiful, state‐of‐the‐art facility. It’s amazing what the University can do with a parking lot!
ANIMAL CONCERN ANIMAL CONCERN
HOTLINE HOTLINE
(734) 763-8028 (734) 763-8028
Page 2
ALPHABET SOUP:
HUMANE USE CATEGORIES D,E,F EXPLAINED
By Jessica Kanitz
Regulatory Compliance Associate, UCUCA
In the UCUCA Form 8225, Application to Use Vertebrate Animals in Research, Testing, or Instruction, Question 10
asks for placement of the animals in Humane Use Categories (HUC). These categories are used by the UCUCA to
report annually to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) how animals are used at the University of
Michigan. From time to time the line between the HUCs on the 8225 applications can get a little blurry. How do
you know which category your animals go in when filling out the 8225? Using the following guidelines can ease the
process:
HUMANE USE CATEGORY D
Animals that are placed in category D will undergo no painful or distressful procedures. Typical procedures in
this category include injection, euthanasia, breeding, and tumor growth (as long as the animals are euthanized prior
to the tumors adversely affecting the animal’s health). These animals do not require the use of anesthesia (unless
used for chemical restraint) or analgesics.
HUMANE USE CATEGORY E
The animals that are placed in category E are provided anesthesia, analgesia, or tranquilizers for procedures that
would typically cause pain or distress. Unless proven otherwise, procedures that cause pain or distress in humans
will cause pain or distress in animals. This includes the use of anesthesia for tail biopsies on mice over 21 days of
age and all recovery and non‐recovery surgical procedures. A common mistake is to place non‐recovery surgical
procedures in HUC D, rather than E. Although the animal will not recover from the procedure, the animal is anes‐
thetized because the procedures would be painful without it (examples: cardiac puncture, lavage, tissue or organ
collection). A good rule of thumb to consider when deciding what HUC to place the animals in is to ask the ques‐
tion, “If anesthesia were not used for this procedure, would it be painful?”
HUMANE USE CATEGORY F
Animals in category F will experience pain and/or distress. Examples of procedures in this category are paralysis,
extended food deprivation, sepsis induction, or noxious stimuli. This category is defined by painful or distressful
procedures for which anesthesia, analgesics, or tranquilizers should be given, but they cannot be given because they
would adversely affect the experimental results or interpretation.
As with any part of the 8225 Form, if you have questions you can always contact the UCUCA Office staff at (734)
763‐8028 or ucuca.office@umich.edu for clarification.
Have A Wild
And Crazy
Summer!
Page 3
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY:
UCUCA POLICY UPDATES
By Dawn O’Connor
Assistant Coordinator, Research Animal Standards and Staff Development, UCUCA
Have we got something new/revised for you!…The UCUCA has been busy making changes to existing animal care
and use policies and implementing new ones. Please review the following, as they may have an impact on your re‐
search activities.
POST-APPROVAL MONITORING
What is post‐approval monitoring? Within the past year, the UCUCA has implemented a new program of visiting
laboratories as a way to foster a collaborative relationship between the UCUCA and the research community while
meeting regulatory obligations.
How does it work? A staff member of the UCUCA Office randomly selects an approved animal use protocol and
schedules a visit with the principal investigator (PI) or a knowledgeable laboratory member. All visits are informal
and discussions are based on the PI’s protocol. This informal visit gives the researcher an opportunity to have a
one‐on‐one dialogue with a UCUCA staff member who is knowledgeable about changes in regulations and stan‐
dards that may effect the way in which research is conducted. So, when UCUCA drops by, remember that it’s a
friendly visit that may be preventing future problematic situations while creating a more collaborative environment.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
In the past, enrollment in the Occupational Health and Environmental Safety (OSEH) program for individuals work‐
ing with animals was mainly dependent upon length of animal exposure, which determined your level of protec‐
tion. Well, times have changed! Approximately two years ago a new program was implemented that requires man‐
datory participation for all personnel exposed to animals. Having a mandatory program helps OSEH ensure em‐
ployees’ health by keeping track of personnel and their exposure to animals. Enrollment is easy! The UCUCA gath‐
ers the names of individuals during the protocol review process and sends those names over to OSEH. OSEH then
sends out a questionnaire to all identified individuals. An occupational health physician at Mworks reviews com‐
pleted forms. Generally, most individuals only have to complete the questionnaire, but those having more than just
incidental contact with animals may be required to have an initial physical exam with the occupational health physi‐
cian. Each year, you will receive a follow‐up questionnaire from OSEH; at that time, please note any changes in
your health status so that MWorks may better evaluate your level of protection. To facilitate the continued success
of our occupational health and safety program, please be diligent about responding to requests from OSEH,
MWorks, and/or UCUCA.
UCUCA POLICY FOR END-STAGE ILLNESS AND HUMANE ENDPOINTS
All investigators, laboratory personnel, and animal care staff have an obligation to humanely use animals in re‐
search and to be cognizant of their well‐being. The UCUCA and the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM)
veterinary staff require investigators to humanely euthanize all moribund animals rather than allowing them to die
spontaneously. There is only one exception: If euthanasia prior to actual death would invalidate the experiment, in‐
vestigators may receive UCUCA approval to not euthanize moribund animals, after sound scientific and ethical jus‐
tification is provided.
Continued on next page...
Page 4
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY:
UCUCA POLICY UPDATES
...Continued from previous page
In the UCUCA Policy for End‐Stage Illness and Humane Endpoints document (found at www.ucuca.umich.edu/
Endstage_ill.doc), there are two tables; one for evaluating morbidity, and one that explains what constitutes a mori‐
bund condition. Both tables give specific criteria for evaluating animals. If you have any questions about this policy
or need help with recognizing clinical signs of endstage illness, please contact the UCUCA Office staff at ucuca.
office@umich.edu or the ULAM veterinary staff at (734) 764‐0277.
POST-ANESTHETIC MONITORING FOR RODENTS FOLLOWING ANESTHESIA AND/OR SURGERY
Below are some key points to remember when providing medical care for rodents following anesthesia or surgery:
Apply ophthalmic ointment (not sterile eye saline) to rodents’ eyes to avoid corneal ulcers.
Keep the animal warm and dry by using a warm water‐circulating blanket.
Once normal ambulation is present, postoperative monitoring should continue at least daily.
To avoid accidental ingestion and respiratory obstruction, do not recover animals on direct bedding; use
blue pads or paper towel instead.
Due to its short recovery time, only rodents anesthetized with isoflurane can be housed together while re‐
covering; all animals anesthetized with other injectables should be housed singly or, if grouped together,
observed closely to avoid cannibalism or injury to non‐responsive cage mates.
To prevent dehydration after anesthesia, administer 1‐2 cc of sterile 0.9% NaCl per 100 gm of body weight
SQ or IP. To avoid hypothermia, warm fluids can be beneficial as long as they are at the appropriate tem‐
perature (test on your own skin prior to administration).
To learn about more specific parameters, please review the Medical Care for Rodents Following Anesthesia and/or
Surgery document, found at www.ucuca.umich.edu/Medical_Care_for_Rodents.doc. As always, if you run into
problems with an animal procedure, please contact the ULAM veterinary staff at (734) 764‐0277.
CHANGES TO AN ANIMAL USE PROTOCOL
The UCUCA has a policy that lists criteria that determine the type of review of modifications to animal use proto‐
cols. The nature of the modification will determine the review time. In September of 2003, the UCUCA Policy on
Defining a Significant Change in an Animal Use Protocol was approved to include that a change in PI on an animal
use protocol constitutes a significant change and therefore requires Committee review. Previously, only the
UCUCA Office staff reviewed a change in PI. Since UCUCA is responsible for ensuring that individuals working
with animals are properly trained, the new PI must describe all of his or her training and experience (Questions 12,
15b and 25b of the animal use application) relevant to the project. Other changes that require Committee review in‐
clude: 30% increase in number of animals requested, adding a new species, more severe adverse consequences for
the animals than originally expected, change in instructional or experimental procedures than originally described,
etc. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UCUCA Office at (734) 763‐8028.
Continued on page 9...
Page 5
AROUND THE ULAM IN (OVER) 80 DAYS:
MEET STEVE DURKEE!
By Linda Stegmeyer
Contributing Editor, ULAM
Looks can be deceiving. As a Regulatory Compliance Associate in the UCUCA office, Steve Durkee is ready with a
quick smile and answers to questions about research regulations. Photographs of his young daughters brighten his
cubicle, and he talks happily about the new home that he and his wife recently purchased. Steve personifies the
modern family man. You’d never know that in his veins runs the blood of an Irish ancestor who, journeying over a
tempestuous Irish Sea to a life of indentured servitude on a Caribbean island, was later transplanted to the rocky
shores of Nova Scotia, and whose descendents eventually migrated to and thrived in southern Michigan. You’d just
never know it, but then again, maybe you would. Steve finds himself at work in the UCUCA office, and he thinks of
it as his professional home. But he didn’t get there without his own journeys, sojourns, and wanderings.
Steve first came to the University of Michigan as an animal care technician for the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medi‐
cine (ULAM). It wasn’t long before he was promoted to supervisor, a position he held for over two years. Then
something in him stirred, and he moved on to the Rich Miller lab and the wild mouse project. As much as he en‐
joyed his work, he found that the laboratory setting was not his style. He wanted to be able to spend more time
with his growing family, to be home on weekends and get away more often. With one foot solidly in the research
community and one foot searching for a place to stand, it was no great surprise that Steve would be first in line
when an opening in the UCUCA office presented itself. And when he got the job, it was no great surprise that he
found relief and contentment; this was where he wanted to be.
The UCUCA office offers Steve a great work environment and home base from which to face the challenges that he
savors. His job is to train anyone who has an animal protocol, which is a lot of people! He teaches UCUCA’s Ani‐
mal Care and Use Orientation, as well as classes on the laboratory rat and mouse, and survival rodent surgery. As a
Regulatory Compliance Associate, Steve inspects rodent survival surgery sites, makes sure that personnel listed on a
protocol have training, and acts as a liaison to facilitate a collaborative environment between research and regula‐
tion. With his people skills and a desire to foster such relationships, Steve looks forward to each opportunity that
brings him in contact with new labs, and considers himself quite settled in his position and his life.
But there is the small matter of genetics. The wandering gene can create a powerful pull. If we’re lucky, this time
Steve will be able to resist his heritage and put down roots once and for all.
TICK...TOCK...TICK BARK!
Page 6
GAZE INTO THE FUTURE:
“SMART” VIVARIUM MONITORING SYSTEM
From UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering Website, www.jacobsschool.ucsd.edu
Media Contact: Doug Ramsey (858) 822‐5825, dramsey@ucsd.edu
CALIFORNIA SCIENTISTS UNVEIL PILOT PROJECT AT UC SAN DIEGO FOR AUTOMATED MONITORING
OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR IN MEDICAL RESEARCH
'Smart Vivarium' Could Enable Better Care of Laboratory Animals
San Diego , Tuesday, February 10, 2004 ‐‐ Computer scientists and animal care experts at the University of California ,
San Diego (UCSD) have come up with a new way to automate the monitoring of mice and other animals in labora‐
tory research. Combining cameras and distributed, non‐invasive sensors with elements of computer vision, infor‐
mation technology and artificial intelligence, the Smart Vivarium project aims to enhance the quality of animal re‐
search, while at the same time enabling better health care for animals.
The pilot project is led by Serge Belongie, an assistant professor in Computer Science and Engineering at UCSDʹs Ja‐
cobs School of Engineering. It is funded entirely by the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information
Technology [ Cal‐ (IT)²], a joint venture of UCSD and UC Irvine . ʺToday a lot of medical research relies on drug ad‐
ministration and careful monitoring of large numbers of live mice and other animals, usually in cages located in a
vivarium,ʺ said Belongie. ʺBut it is an entirely manual process, so there are limitations on how often observations
can be made, and how thoroughly those observations can be analyzed.ʺ
Belongie put together an interdisciplinary team to develop the hardware and software for automated, 24‐hour‐a‐day
monitoring and archiving of a continuous stream of measurements on animal behavior ‐‐ rather than periodic obser‐
vations by a lab technician. So far, Belongie has demonstrated his computer‐vision and pattern‐recognition software
with data from a single cage, but the deployment inside a full‐scale vivarium is still in the proposal stages. Noted
Belongie: ʺWe are now hoping to embark on a multi‐million‐dollar project that would allow us to develop and de‐
ploy the technology for two key areas ‐‐ medical research and emergency response.ʺ
UCSD is a major biological sciences research center, and animal‐care specialists believe the technology under devel‐
opment could dramatically improve the care of research animals. ʺThe Smart Vivarium will make better use of
fewer lab animals and lead to more efficient animal health care,ʺ said Phil Richter, Director of UCSDʹs Animal Care
Program, who is working with Belongie on the project. ʺSick animals would be detected and diagnosed sooner, al‐
lowing for earlier treatments.ʺ The technology would also help to reduce the number of animals needed in scientific
investigations. ʺIn medical research, experiments are sometimes repeated due to observational and analytical limita‐
tions,ʺ said Belongie. ʺBy recording all the data the first time, scientists could go back and look for different patterns
in the data without using more mice to perform the new experiment.ʺ
For many of the same reasons, the underlying technology could be useful for the early diagnosis and monitoring of
sick animals in zoos, veterinary offices and agriculture. (ʺEarly detection of lameness in livestock,ʺ noted Belongie,
ʺcould help stop the transmission of disease.ʺ) The computer scientist also intends to seek collaboration with the San
Diego Zoo and other local institutions for practical field deployment of the monitoring systems as part of an upcom‐
ing study.
Continued on page 9...
Page 7
UPCOMING ANIMAL CARE & USE
TRAINING CLASSES
ANIMAL CARE & USE ORIENTATION HOW TO REGISTER FOR TRAINING CLASSES
Lecture
7/13/04 (Tue) 10:00 am‐12:00 pm 2813/2817 MS II
7/21/04 (Wed) 1:30 pm‐3:30 pm 2710 FSSC
To register for animal care and use training classes, visit
the UCUCA web site at www.ucuca.umich.edu and click
on the link for “Animal Care and Use Training Avail‐
INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY RATS & MICE
able.” Follow the instructions online.
Lecture
6/24/04 (Thu) 1:00 pm‐2:00 pm 2813/2817 MS II
7/14/04 (Wed) 10:00 am‐11:00 am 3813/3817 MS II
Or, email the UCUCA Office at ucuca.office@umich.edu
7/22/04 (Thu) 2:00 pm‐3:00 pm 3813/3817 MS II with the following information:
1. Name
LABORATORY MOUSE TECHNIQUES 101 2. Email Address
Workshop 3. Department
6/28/04 (Mon) 1:00 pm‐3:00 pm 2606A MS II
7/6/04 (Tue) 1:30 pm‐3:30 pm 2606A MS II
4. Principal Investigator (First and Last Name)
7/16/04 (Fri) 1:00 pm‐3:00 pm 2606A MS II
5. UCUCA Approval Number
7/20/04 (Tue) 9:00 am‐11:00 am 2606A MS II
6. Campus (lab) Phone Number
7/28/04 (Wed) 9:00 am‐11:00 am 2606A MS II 7. Campus (lab) Address with Campus Box
8. Title of Class
LABORATORY RAT TECHNIQUES 101 9 . Date and Title of Class(es)
Workshop
6/29/04 (Tue) 1:00 pm‐3:00 pm 2606A MS II
7/8/04 (Thu) 1:30 pm‐3:30 pm 2606A MS II
For questions or concerns about training, please contact
7/23/04 (Fri) 1:30 pm‐3:30 pm 2606A MS II
the UCUCA office at (734) 763‐8028 or email
7/27/04 (Tue) 9:00 am‐11:00 am 2606A MS II
ucuca.office@umich.edu.
MICRO-ISOLATION CAGE TECHNIQUES FOR SPF ANIMALS
Workshop
6/25/04 (Fri) 10:00 am‐11:00 pm 2606A MS II
6/28/04 (Mon) 10:00 am‐11:00 pm 2606A MS II
7/9/04 (Fri) 10:00 am‐11:00 pm 2606A MS II
7/12/04 (Mon) 10:00 am‐11:00 pm 2606A MS II
7/23/04 (Fri) 10:00 am‐11:00 pm 2606A MS II
7/26/04 (Mon) 10:00 am‐11:00 pm 2606A MS II
TRAINING IN RODENT SURVIVAL SURGERY
Lecture
6/30/04 (Wed) 10:30 am‐11:30 am 3813/3817 MS II
7/7/04 (Wed) 2:00 pm‐3:00 pm 2710 FSSC
7/15/04 (Thu) 10:00 am‐11:00 am 3813/3817 MS II
7/26/04 (Mon) 1:00 pm‐2:00 pm 3813/3817 MS II
NOTE:
!
Schedules for August were unavailable at time of
publication. Please visit www.ucuca.umich.edu for
updates and changes to class schedule and to regis‐
ter for courses.
Page 8
BONE FRAGMENTS
UCUCA Policy Updates...Continued from page 5
MANDATORY TRAINING FOR ALL PERSONNEL WORKING WITH ANIMALS
If you haven’t already heard, working with animals at The University of Michigan requires training. Almost one
year ago, the mandatory training policy went into effect, which means that anyone working with live animals is re‐
quired to attend training classes. Training requirements for individuals listed on each application are determined
during the protocol review process. Requirements are based on the species and procedures described in the proto‐
col. The UCUCA office staff will inform all new personnel listed in an application or in an addendum of their train‐
ing requirements.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of these policies, please don’t hesitate to contact the UCUCA
office at (734) 763‐8028 or ucuca.office@umich.edu.
Smart Vivarium...Continued from page 7
A possible ancillary use for this technology could be for emergency response, specifically, for monitoring so‐called
ʹsentinelʹ cages. ʺThis is the modern‐day version of the canary in a coal mine,ʺ said Belongie. ʺAnimals can be very
sensitive to chemical or biological agents, and sentinel cages have already been deployed at potential bio‐terrorism
targets and chemical research facilities to warn operators of gas or other leaks. Instead of requiring that a human
watch each animal in each cage for early warning signs, the Smart Vivarium technology would automate the proc‐
ess, resulting in reduced need for such sentinels.ʺ
As for improvements in medical research from the continuous monitoring of lab animals, Belongie expects at least
an improvement of two orders of magnitude in the automated collection and processing of monitoring data.
ʺContinuous monitoring and mining of animal physiological and behavioral data will allow medical researchers to
detect subtle patterns expressible only over lengthy longitudinal studies,ʺ noted Belongie. ʺBy providing a never‐
before‐available, vivarium‐wide collection of continuous animal behavior measurements, this technology could
yield major breakthroughs in drug design and medical research, not to mention veterinary science, experimental
psychology and animal care.ʺ
Apart from Belongie and officials from the UCSD Animal Care Program, two Jacobs School of Engineering faculty
members are collaborating on the project: Bioengineering professor Geert W. Schmid‐Schonbein, a leader in micro‐
circulation research, who is providing input on how to maximize the utility of the design of the Smart Vivarium;
and Computer Science and Engineering professor Rajesh Gupta, who is leading the effort to create a distributed, em‐
bedded platform that will integrate all of the functions in a tiny silicon‐based package that could be mounted on ex‐
isting lab cages without requiring a wholesale redesign of cages used by vivarium operators. ʺThis project typifies
the interdisciplinary nature of our research,ʺ said Ramesh Rao, UCSD Division Director of Cal‐ (IT)2. ʺProfessor Be‐
longie and his colleagues are working to produce a practical system that will require overcoming huge research
challenges in areas as diverse as computer vision, bioengineering, embedded systems design, and animal care proto‐
cols. And based on the pilot project so far, they are off to a good start.ʺ
Page 9
BONE FRAGMENTS
COME ONE, COME ALL! THE MYSTERIES OF THE IACUC...REVEALED!
ANIMAL CONCERN HOTLINE:
(734) 763-8028
The University of Michigan is strongly committed to the humane care and
use of animals in research. The Animal Concern Hotline (763‐8028) pro‐
BARKBACK!
vides a mechanism for U‐M staff members and the public at large to report
any matter of concern about humane aspects of laboratory animal care and
Do you have questions, comments,
use. The University Committee on Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA) will
corrections, or suggestions about
promptly investigate any report submitted and will maintain confidential‐
The Backbone? Is there a topic you
ity, within University guidelines, regarding the source of information it re‐
would like to see covered in a fu‐
ceives.
ture issue? We want to hear from
you! Email us at
IF YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT TROUBLES YOU, PLEASE DO NOT
UCUCA.office@umich.edu or call
HESITATE TO CALL!
(734) 763‐8028 and tell us about it!
Page 10
BONE FRAGMENTS
LOOKING FOR HELP ON YOUR RODENT PROJECT?
The University has a multitude of PI’s, centers, and labs that have services set up to diagnose, phenotype, and re‐
derive mouse and rat strains. Most people just don’t know how to find them or what types of services they supply.
The Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine has sponsored a bulletin board to help promote these services. We have
placed a bulletin board in MSRB I, next to the Transgenic Core Lab (room 2526; it is the main elevator lobby outside
the entrance to the MSRB animal facility). On this board we will have flyers and bulletins to promote the services
available to all University of Michigan and outside members. If you would like to advertise a service you offer,
please contact Valerie Hamlin at adzimava@umich.edu or (734) 764‐3531. Any feedback you have, both positive and
negative, would be appreciated.
UCUCA WEB SITE METAMORPHOSIS
+ = You are in for a treat in the near future! The UCUCA
Office is busy re‐designing the UCUCA web site with
new graphics, better organization, updated information,
easier navigation, and more! The web site address will
remain the same: www.ucuca.umich.edu, and the cur‐
rent site will remain functional until the new version is uploaded. As al‐
ways, you can download UCUCA forms and animal use applications, regis‐
ter for classes, view links of interest concerning laboratory animal care and
use, and view information about UCUCA policies and procedures at www.
GET A BACKBONE! ucuca.umich.edu.
Readers wishing to receive future
~buzzz~
issues of The Backbone can be in‐ THE BUZZ ON MOSQUITOES
cluded on the mailing list by com‐ From the files of www.freakyanimals.com
pleting and returning the request
form on the back page of the news‐ Just in time for summer, here are some juicy tidbits on the “Michigan state
letter. Additional copies of The bird”...
Backbone are also available from Of the million‐plus species of insects on earth, 3,000 of them are mos‐
the UCUCA office. quitoes. More than 165 of those live in the United States.
The animal responsible for the most human deaths world‐wide is the
mosquito.
SNAIL MAIL Mosquitoes are attracted to the color blue twice as much as to any other
color.
University of Michigan Youʹre more likely to be a target for mosquitoes if you eat bananas.
UCUCA Mosquitoes prefer biting people with smelly feet. Mosquitoes also pre‐
1301 Catherine St. fer children to adults, and blondes to brunettes.
3502 ARF Mosquitoes dislike citronella because it irritates their feet.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109‐0614 Mosquito repellents donʹt repel ‐ they hide you. The spray blocks the
mosquitoʹs sensors so they donʹt know youʹre there.
Page 11
Add my name to your mailing list.
Send me _______additional copies of The Backbone (Month/Year).
Please complete and return to the University Committee on Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA).
Name Department ______________________________
Telephone Fax Address
Principal Investigator
E-mail Address _____________________________________________________________________
Topics/areas of interest you would like to see explored in future issues:
University of Michigan
University Committee on Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA)
3502 ARF 0614
763-8028 (Telephone) 936-3234 (FAX)
ucuca.office@umich.edu (e-mail)
University of Michigan Editors:
University Committee on Use and Care of Animals (UCUCA) Kate Wiklanski
3502 ARF 0614 Astrid Haakonstad
Page 12
