# Modernization to UMN Research Animal Resources for Increased Rodent Research Output and Plan for Future Automation

> **NIH NIH R24** · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · 2022 · $335,172

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
This application's long-term objective is to improve the quality and efficiency of the future of
laboratory animal care at the University of Minnesota (UMN) through its Research Animal
Resources (RAR) shared facilities. NIH awards totaled more than $63,000,000 to UMN each
year for animal-related studies. The goal of this specific proposal is to acquire modern, efficient
tunnel washing instrumentation to protect and enhance research and investments, while
positioning for future innovation of increased productivity and improved environmental
sustainability.
Biomedical animal research housed at RAR at UMN includes funded projects in neuroscience,
genetics, brain disorders, bioengineering, rare diseases, biotechnology, biomedical imaging,
cancer, neurodegenerative disease, women’s health, preventative medicine, infectious disease
and many others. In all, 767 research projects and over 345 investigators currently depend on
the high quality animal care at the Twin Cities Campus RAR facilities. Providing the
highest quality, compliant and efficient animal care to facilitate research is an ongoing mission
of the RAR. Due to extremely heavy and growing commitments for animal research at UMN and
limitation in the availability of institutional funds over the past two years during the global
pandemic, innovation and upgrades have been deferred for maintenance and we must defer the
completion of our most innovative solutions. In this application we describe a critical need to
overcome this bottleneck and achieve our long-term plan of automation and efficiency. This
FOA will allow the UMN to address the funding of key unmet needs and position itself for future
sustainable growth to meet the growing demands. This involves the replacement of old,
maintenance intensive, inefficient and potentially deleterious tunnel washing equipment and the
preparation of space required in order to properly accommodate the required function located in
the MCB branch of RAR. This equipment will be installed to discharge sanitized cages through a
"barrier", thus completely separating contaminated from clean housing components during the
washing process and significantly improving throughput and reliability of the sanitization of
cages and other equipment. Importantly, in alignment with other UMN initiatives, this new
equipment will help UMN meet its energy efficiency goals as well as advancing sustainability
goals in wastewater treatment. Improvements in speed and reliability of the sanitization of
research materials and other equipment will improve both research capacity and
quality. Furthermore, it will eliminate the need for staff to transport cages to other facilities,
thereby contributing to risk mitigation and additional meaningful use of precious staff efforts.
Finally, with a successful award, space occupied by the aging tunnel washing equipment will be
compatible for future even more innovative plans being considered by the institution. This
inclu...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10533204
- **Project number:** 1R24OD033697-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- **Principal Investigator:** Nathan J Koewler
- **Activity code:** R24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $335,172
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10533204

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10533204, Modernization to UMN Research Animal Resources for Increased Rodent Research Output and Plan for Future Automation (1R24OD033697-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10533204. Licensed CC0.

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