Management Training

Communication issues can impact research. An atmosphere of cooperation can make the impact positive.

In order to meet their desired research goals, investigators must delineate and clearly define which variables need to be controlled in order to yield the desired data. Most animal research data manipulation is done in the research laboratory, but before this data can be manipulated it must first be obtained from the living host—the animals. In general, animals are housed within the animal facility (AF) unless the investigator has designated space that meets the housing requirements according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. Since it is more common that an investigator would utilize an existing AF, the focus of this article is to discuss the role of the animal facility personnel and the benefits an investigator can gain by establishing and maintaining an open and candid relationship with the animal facility staff.

Generally speaking there are two different types of investigators: those that regularly visit the animal facility to monitor their animals and those that do not. The latter tend to rely on their research staff, whether they are students or professional employees, to monitor the well-being of their colonies and inform them of any unusual events or issues.

While the animals are housed in the AF, the investigator and research staff exercise little control over the animals, aside from their research manipulations. Furthermore, the same investigators may know little or nothing when an event occurs within the facility that could have impact on their test results. The drive for any investigator is the quest for data and knowledge, and not knowing what their research subjects are exposed to at an intimate level could lead to misinterpretation of test results. For example, unexpected environmental events can occur, such as cage flooding or increased room temperature, which if not accounted for during data collection could significantly impact its interpretation. This is where the AF staff plays an important role in the success of research models. All too often, there is a communication breakdown between the investigators and the AF staff. If communication channels remain open, it is more likely that slight, but impactful variables will be discussed between parties and the interpretation of data will have more relevance.

Generally, AF personnel consist of veterinarians, managers, veterinary technicians, and animal caretakers. All of these individuals have a common goal, the well-being of the investigator’s animals and preservation of data integrity. The goals of an animal care and use program and the AF should be to meet the researcher’s needs within the confines of animal care regulations and welfare. Since an investigator must delineate and establish the variables he/she wishes to study, the AF should function in a manner that minimizes the introduction of additional variables. To do this, an AF must maintain a stable environment at the cage (microenvironment) and at the room (macro environment) level. This is accomplished by establishing multiple layers of security along with a strong system of checks and balances. Adherence to standard operating procedures promotes consistency in procedures. This is particularly important since animal caretakers must handle animals from various investigators that could result in cross-contamination. The area supervisor, in conjunction with physical plant personnel, performs strict monitoring of environmental parameters, such as temperature, humidity, and light cycles. A quality assurance program is usually present to validate equipment performance to ensure the maintenance of healthy animals. Veterinary technicians and veterinarians work together to provide support to the research staff on methodologies, techniques, or protocol review. In general, the AF staff is a customer service oriented group for the research community. Realizing these things will help the investigator understand that all these checks and balances are there for the success of their research programs while maintaining a regulatory compliant program.