# Core B: Animal Core and Germ-Free Mouse Core

> **NIH NIH U2C** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $103,789

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract – Animal Care and Germ-Free Mouse Core
The Animal Care and Germ-Free Mouse Core of the Michigan MPMOD will play a central role in the
management of animal flow through the Center’s MPB Phenotyping Core from initial acquisition to final
disposition of imported mice. Both the Core Director and Associate Director are veterinarians and diplomates
of the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Specific functions of the Animal Care and Germ-Free
Mouse Core include the coordination of mouse importation, quarantine, and environmental testing for a panel
of murine pathogens, as well as providing housing, husbandry, and veterinary care of mice in accordance with
the MPMOD (Administrative Core) guidelines. Research services such as hands-on technical support and
germ-free technology and expertise will be unique components of our Core. Germ-free C57BL/6J,
C57BL/6NCrl, BALB/c, and Swiss-Webster mice as well as several genetically engineered strains will be
available to MPMOD investigators. In addition, investigators may import germ-free mice from other institutions
or request rederivation of new germ-free strains. Experimental manipulations available for germ-free and SPF
mice include routine treatments, sample collections, and in-house analysis (blood, feces, urine, etc.), training,
and experimental design consultation, among others. Goals of the Animal Care and Germ-Free Mouse Core
are to provide the highest level of health and well-being as well as veterinary expertise for all research animals
in our USDA-certified and AAALAC-accredited facilities. All Core services will be performed under University of
Michigan IACUC approved protocols. All SPF mice will be housed in Allentown ventilated racks. Germ-free or
gnotobiotic mice will be maintained in flexible-film isolators or Tecniplast Isocage racks. Barrier conditions
including cage changing in vertical laminar flow changing stations, strict adherence to microisolator techniques,
and use of isolated rooms for colony segregation will assure maintenance of pathogen-free animals. The
Animal Core will also provide oversight for technical support such as dose administration, obtaining body
weights, fasting, glucose levels, providing and monitoring special diets, and transfer of mice to and from ULAM
housing to the laboratories of the MPB Phenotyping Core.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10772030
- **Project number:** 5U2CDK135066-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Lucy Hoffmann Kennedy
- **Activity code:** U2C (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $103,789
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-02-01 → 2028-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10772030

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10772030, Core B: Animal Core and Germ-Free Mouse Core (5U2CDK135066-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10772030. Licensed CC0.

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