This page links to previously-sent e-newsletters. To view an archived e-newsletter, simply click on one of the links below:
May 7, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 10)
Feature -> TurnKey Award Winners Announced ALN® Magazine and TurnKey Award sponsor, Tecniplast, announced the winners of the 2008 TurnKey Award winners at a luncheon held April 17, 2008 at the TurnKey Conference in Baltimore, MD. Karen Gourlay, Assistant Director of the Central Animal Facility (CAF) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada was named the 2008 TurnKey Facility Leader of the Year and the Toronto Centre for Phenogenomics (TCP) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was named Facility of the Year.
April 23, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 9)
Feature -> Aquatic Research: Slippery Business
Aquatic research facilities are prime candidates for slips and falls. The constantly wet surfaces, frequent spills and splashes, proximity to water for most facilities, potential boating activities, etc. all combine to make aquatic research facilities some of the most vulnerable places for slips, trips, and falls. This issue, the Safety Guys offer a few tips on preventing these types of accidents.
April 9, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 8)
Feature -> Not Building or Renovating? TurnKey is Still the Place to Be
The TurnKey Conference has always been billed as the must-attend conference for those who are building or renovating laboratory animal facilities. In fact, it is a must-attend conference for any facility manager or director.
March 26, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 7)
Feature -> TurnKey Roundtables Announced ALN® Magazine has announced the topics for its new Breakfast Roundtables at the 2008 TurnKey Conference. Breakfast Roundtables offer participants the opportunity to meet with experts and leaders in the laboratory animal field in a relaxed and informal setting. Moderated by vendor experts, each roundtable will be limited to ten participants to allow for good discussion over the 20-30 minutes allowed.
March 12, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 6)
Feature -> Is biocontainment in your facility's future?
Working in or upgrading a lab animal facility to BSL-3 or 4 has increased over the past few years. Practical advice on the issues and operations for these types of facilities can help your facility prepare for the future and make the transition smoother.
February 27, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 5)
Feature -> The top ten reasons you should attend the 2008 TurnKey Conference...
Sit in on your choice of the insightful sessions, take the session notes back to your lab for future reference, etc.
February 13, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 4)
Feature -> Laboratory Energy Checklist
Lou Hartman, PE, a principal of Harley Ellis Devereaux and director of the firm's Science & Research Studio and Ken Mohr, a principal of Health, Education + Research Associates who specializes in laboratory planning and design, offer this 'energy checklist.' Take a look and see if there are some simple things your facility can look at to improve in terms of energy consumption.
January 30, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 3)
Feature -> Keeping Track of Animals with RFID
Most of us are at least somewhat aware of RFID - Radio Frequency Identification. This technology has been used for many years in our everyday lives in such applications as the pass mounted in your automobile to allow you to 'zip' through a toll, or your local library using RFID to track books. We see this technology in identification badges and in cards used to pay for trains and other forms of transportation. RFID is beginning to replace barcodes as a means of inventory control and tracking large numbers of animals in the world of lab animal science.
January 16, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 2)
Feature -> TurnKey to Highlight Wide Breadth of Sessions
Those looking to build or renovate a lab animal facility will want to check out the 2008 TurnKey Conference brochure, http://www.turnkeyconference.com/conference_sessions.asp. All experts in their fields, the speakers range from architects, lab planners, and engineers to facility managers, environmental health and safety officers, and directors - many with decades of experience.
January 2, 2008(Volume 2, Issue 1)
Feature -> Common Pitfalls in the Development of Animal Research Facilities (Featured TurnKey Conference Session)
Donald G. McKay, Director, Biosciences Animal Service, University of Alberta and David H. Neil, Past University Veterinarian, University of Colorado and University of Alberta, consultants on animal facility design will be featured speakers at the Turnkey Conference, April 17-18, 2008 in Baltimore, MD.
December 27, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 40)
Feature -> The Best of ALN 2007
The staff of ALN® Magazine wishes all our readers, contributors, vendors, advertisers, and friends in the laboratory animal community a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous and peaceful new year.
December 12, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 39)
Feature -> Conference to Address Aquatic Systems Upturn
The upcoming 2008 TurnKey Conference, an annual event that targets professionals who are building or renovating laboratory animal facilities, will take place April 17-18, 2008, in Baltimore, MD. Among the many technical sessions is a session titled "Terra vs. Aqua - Challenges in Aquatic Systems Integration," which will focus primarily on facility projects and research programs that are making the upgrade.
November 28, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 38)
Feature -> ALN Europe™: New International Publication for Animal Science Professionals
January 2008 brings the launch of ALN Europe™ Magazine (www.alneurope.com), sister publication to ALN Europe™. ALN Europe™ will contain timely and informative articles, product announcements, editorials, and news that have come to be the hallmark of the U.S.-based ALN Europe™ but with a focus on the topics of interest to the European laboratory animal science community.
November 14, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 37)
Feature -> Five questions: Talking commissioning, construction and Cornerstone
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sums up commissioning this way: "The Commissioning Process is a quality-oriented process for achieving, verifying, and documenting that the performance of facilities, systems, and assemblies meets defined objectives and criteria."
October 31, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 36)
Feature -> Q&A with: Cindy Smith, Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Bruce Knight, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, recently announced the appointment of Cindy J. Smith as administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
October 17, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 35)
Feature -> AMP: Nobel Award in Medicine Holds Strong Message for Animal Activists
The announcement of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine underscores the importance of laboratory animals in biomedical research. Americans for Medical Progress congratulates Mario R. Capecchi, Martin J. Evans and Oliver Smithies as they are honored by the Karolinska Institute for their animal-based research that pioneered gene targeting, technology now being used to develop treatments and cures for countless serious ailments.
October 3, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 34)
Feature -> AVMA updates euthanasia guidelines
The American Veterinary Medical Association has announced an update to its 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia.
September 19, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 33)
Feature -> Assembling a biosafety level 3 checklist
The very definition of the word indicates that biosafety involves the containment of hazardous agents.
Consideration of containment – using multiple levels of barriers as defined by ‘Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories,’ should begin in the planning phase – especially in BSL 3 facilities where there is more of an emphasis on primary and secondary barriers.
September 5, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 32)
Feature -> AAALAC to present at 2008 TurnKey Conference
The Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) will head a presentation about the AAALAC accreditation process – including definitions, standards and the associated benefits - at the 2008 TurnKey Conference in Baltimore.
August 22, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 31)
Feature -> TurnKey looks to laboratory animal facility leaders
ALN Magazine has announced the opening of the 2008 TurnKey Awards nominations – a program designed to recognize standouts in the laboratory animal facility field.
August 8, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 30)
Feature -> TurnKey Conference 2008: Call for Papers
The TurnKey Conference is all about the design, construction and/or renovation of laboratory animal facilities. Sessions are for industry professionals with some previous experience in building or renovating.
July 25, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 29)
Feature -> American Veterinary Medical Association installs new president
Gregory S. Hammer, DVM, has been named as the new president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Speaking before the AVMA House of Delegates at the 144th annual convention in Washington, D.C., Dr. Hammer laid out the platform for his presidency of the organization.
July 11, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 28)
Feature -> Fire and life safety for animal housing facilities
Due to the nature of their business, organizations involved with animal husbandry face unique challenges when it comes to fire safety. Similar to any other entity, these organizations are obligated to provide a safe environment for the human occupants. Facilities that board animals, other than a number of zoos, typically do not have any specific regulations addressing the fire and life safety of the animals. Fire and life safety mandates such as the fire resistance rating of structural elements, smoke management systems, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and means of egress requirements are not discussed. Traditional building and fire codes provide for broadly applied concepts to the facilities, but lack any specificity with regard to the very unique nature of the animal inhabitants.
July 6, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 27)
Feature -> Lab animal transport: Quick tips and guidelines
Getting research animals from one location to another – safely and with as little stress as possible – can be a detail-packed undertaking. A sometimes disparate network of regulations can make arranging transport a confusing task.
June 27, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 26)
Feature -> Vaccine preparation for SARS virus effective in animal model
Lipid Sciences, Inc. has reported in a submission to the National Institutes of Health that it has met the study goal of creating a vaccine preparation for SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
June 20, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 25)
Feature -> Scientists solve genome of marine organism: Bacteria discovered in Bahamian mud has potential as producer of natural antibiotics and anticancer products
Scientists at the University of California/San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have solved the genomic puzzle of an organism discovered in the oceans with potential for producing compounds showing promise in treating diseases such as cancer.
June 13, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 24)
Feature -> Auditory nerve implant superior to cochlear implants, animal study finds
A tiny, ultra-thin electrode placed directly in the auditory nerve is showing superior results to the standard cochlear implant, according to new research conducted at the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute.
June 6, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 23)
Feature -> The Science of Ergonomic Laboratory Seating
In laboratory environments, it’s not uncommon for people to spend greatly extended periods of time working in seated positions.
May 30, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 22)
Feature -> The future of equine research
A new, free white paper that takes a look at the future of equine research is now available for download.
May 23, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 21)
Feature -> Cornell lab: Deadly fish virus spreading
A lethal fish virus in the Great Lakes and neighboring waterways is approaching epidemic proportions, according to research by a Cornell professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
May 16, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 20)
Feature -> Fox urges innovation through translation
Getting biomedical advances from the research pipeline to the marketplace is an important step in meeting the need for new drugs, according to actor – and Parkinson's patient – Michael J. Fox.
May 9, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 19)
Feature -> BIO 2007: International groups meet in Boston
Researchers and scientists mingled with celebrities CEOs and royalty this week at the 2007 Biotechnology Industry Organization's International Convention in Boston.
May 2, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 18)
Feature -> Move to establish lab biorisk management standards underway
An international delegation has unanimously approved a business plan to launch the International Laboratory Biorisk Management Standard Development Initiative.
April 25, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 17)
Feature -> What's the buzz: Taking a look at insectaries
The world is, quite literally, full of insects. And this, according to Elizabeth Weisenberg, a laboratory planner with CUH2A, is an important reason to pay attention to them.
April 18, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 16)
Feature -> TurnKey 2007: Construction, flexibility and looking ahead
Several hundred professionals gathered in Boston, Mass. Last week to discuss, compare notes and talk with their colleagues about advancing the laboratory animal facility industry.
April 11, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 15)
Feature -> Art's-Way planning new, expanded facility following fire
Less than three months after losing several laboratories in a fire that completely destroyed a building at its Monona, Iowa site, Art's-Way Manufacturing Co. is planning a brand new, larger facility, company officials say.
April 4, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 14)
Feature -> Moving a lab: Make a list, check it twice
Moving a laboratory can be tough. Moving a laboratory animal facility can raise stress levels to alarming heights, especially if you don’t have an ark handy.
March 28, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 13)
Feature -> The new vivarium: Planning for emerging species
Mark Francis started Aquaneering Inc. in his garage. By 1997 the company moved to a larger facility. Ten years later, Aquaneering is now an internationally recognized company with a list of successful installations in six different countries.
March 21, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 12)
Feature -> Rick Deitrich: Taking a look at strategies for disaster planning
In the event of a disaster, where is your laboratory animal facility most vulnerable? Rick Deitrich can to tell you.
March 14, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 11)
Feature -> Meet your colleagues: Ronald W. Gordon
Ronald W. Gordon, who was recently named the 2007 TurnKey Facility Leader of the Year, is Manager of Animal Facilities at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. He has over 30 years of laboratory animal experience beginning at Yale University where he co-authored Yale’s first Animal Welfare Bibliography. Gordon also chairs the Wesleyan IACUC. He is an active volunteer and participant in several organizations including serving on the editorial boards of the The LAMA Review and the Journal of AALAS.
March 7, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 10)
Feature -> $5.2 million in research funds awarded: Maryland biomedical firms benefit from university/commercial partnerships
A total of $5.2 million in funding will fuel 28 new research projects partnering Maryland firms with university researchers, the University of Maryland has announced.
March 1, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 9)
Feature -> Bioscience technology showcased in grant program
Legislation signed into law last summer is expected to bring as many as 10 new bioscience companies to Colorado in the near future, according to one of the bill’s sponsors.
February 21, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 8)
Feature -> TurnKey award winners announced
Animal Lab News and TurnKey Award sponsor Tecniplast USA Inc. have announced two award winners to be honored at this year’s conference.
February 15, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 7)
Feature -> Infectious diseases and bioterrorism: Catching up with Building 33
When construction began in Nov. 2003 on a $182.6 million integrated laboratory research facility on the Bethesda, Maryland campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), administrators knew it would have to be a safe, state of the art facility.
February 7, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 6)
Feature -> Lab security: From risk assessment to calming nerves
Biological agents are often necessary tools in clinical and research laboratories. These same agents, however, could prove devastating if they fall into the wrong hands or are treated carelessly - which is why proper risk assessment and security measures have become such a vital part of biomedical lab procedures.
January 31, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 5)
Feature -> White paper: 'Virus Testing for Biological Products: Partnering With a Contract Lab'
In manufacturing biological products, there is risk of virus contamination at many levels, from raw materials to processing. This contamination risk means virus testing is required. A proper testing program is essential to ensure the biological product achieves the fastest time to market.
January 24, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 4)
Feature -> Creating standards in zebrafish husbandry
Consider the humble zebrafish: An ideal model for studying vertebrate development, hearty and nearly ubiquitous. These points may also be the primary reasons zebrafish husbandry is so poorly developed - an aspect of the model the New England Zebrafish Husbandry Association is looking to change...
January 17, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 3)
Feature -> Rising costs: Maintaining a construction budget
Anyone preparing to build a laboratory animal facility or planning to renovate a lab site is confronted by one inescapable fact at the outset: construction costs are up.
January 10, 2007(Volume 1, Issue 2)
Feature -> Fishing for similarities aids in research
A new study has found that two genetically similar fish have also shown markedly different abilities to grow - a finding that could provide new ways to research previously disparate areas...