PROJECT SUMMARY – Alteration & Renovations The South Dakota State University (SDSU) vivarium, known as the Animal Research Wing (ARW) will be utilized by the research projects in the proposed BioSNTR-II. To efficiently, reliably, and responsibly conduct animal experiments, the vivarium climate must be controlled within ranges consistent with compliance standards and for animal welfare. In addition, efficient maintenance of animal house with use of an automatic cage washer system is important for reducing costs and ensuring sustainability of the facility. Preliminary analysis and planning by the Senior Mechanical Engineer and the Director of Energy Systems of South Dakota State University Facilities and Services identified critically needed environmental control alterations and renovations. For nine months of the year, the vivarium is not fully compliant with temperature or humidity standards of the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare for at least one day per week. This is because the environmental control system is unable to maintain room temperature and room humidity simultaneously within compliance ranges. The origin of this problem stems from incorrect sizing of ventilation and humidification equipment from the initial construction. Therefore, the goal of this alterations and renovations request is to upgrade several components of the environmental system to increase simultaneous control of temperature and humidity in rooms that BioSNTR-II will utilize. Additionally, since the time of the first submission, of this proposal, SDSU has initiated retrofits to the building, thereby lowering the costs. In this revised application, we are requesting funds to complete these renovations. We are also requesting support to replace the aging animal cage washer system to ensure efficient, reliable and cost-effective implementation for the BioSNTR-II project and future biomedical research at SDSU. These upgrades will increase the efficiency and reliability of the SDSU vivarium for responsible biomedical research using animal models.