Chapter 5: Research with Animals
Oversight and Compliance
All research involving animals must be conducted in accordance with applicable federal regulations, institutional policies, and biosafety requirements to ensure the protection of personnel, the welfare of animals, and the containment of hazardous agents. Animal facilities and care programs must comply with standards such as the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and USDA Animal Welfare Regulations. All animal use must be approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and any experiments involving hazardous materials—including biological, chemical, or radiological agents—must include those hazards in the IACUC protocol.
Additionally, any work involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, infectious agents, human-derived materials, biological toxins, select animal-derived substances, or transgenic animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) before the research begins. The IBC is responsible for assigning containment levels (e.g., ABSL1, ABSL2) based on a risk assessment of the proposed work. The IBC may raise or lower the required containment level as warranted by the risk posed by the biological agent and experimental conditions.
Wild-Caught Animals and Field Research
Special consideration must be given to research involving wild-caught animals or animal-derived samples collected from field settings, as these may pose unknown or zoonotic infectious risks. Investigators collecting such samples must perform a risk assessment and ensure that appropriate IACUC and, if applicable, IBC approvals are obtained before collection. When potentially infectious samples are brought back to campus, they must be handled under at least Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) containment unless the IBC determines otherwise. For more guidance on safety during field activities, investigators should consult the Biosafety Officer.
Animals Administered Biological Materials
When animals are administered biological materials, such as viral vectors or infectious agents, they must be housed at Animal Biosafety Level 2 (ABSL2), see appendix D. ABSL2 housing must maintain negative air pressure relative to adjacent areas and exhaust room air directly to the outside. Personnel involved in administering these agents or handling treated animals must complete the required training. All such work must be conducted in a certified biosafety cabinet (BSC) or other approved containment device unless a deviation (e.g., due to stereotactic surgery or use of large animals or equipment) has been reviewed and approved by EHS and the IBC.
Proper personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn in accordance with IBC and IACUC protocol approvals. Disposable PPE must be removed and discarded in designated containers upon exiting the animal room. Reusable protective eyewear, such as goggles or safety glasses, must be decontaminated and stored in the designated area. The use of restraint devices is recommended to reduce handling risks. All surfaces, tools, and waste materials must be thoroughly decontaminated after use, with autoclaving preferred when feasible. Waste and contaminated equipment must not leave the facility until properly decontaminated or contained.
Necropsy, Dissection and Tissue Harvest
Procedures such as necropsy, dissection, or tissue harvesting from animals administered biological agents are considered aerosol- or splash-generating and must be performed within a primary containment device, such as a biosafety cabinet or downdraft necropsy table. Use of power tools like bone saws increases the risk of aerosol generation and potential exposure. When large animals cannot be accommodated within a containment device, procedures may proceed only if previously reviewed and approved by EHS and the IBC. In some cases, necropsy may occur outside of containment if animals were removed from ABSL2 housing after a designated clearance period (e.g., 72 hours post-inoculation with viral vectors) or were infected with pathogens that pose risks only to other animals. These exceptions must be justified in the protocol and explicitly approved by the IBC.