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By Lee Mather, Managing Editor, ALN® Magazine
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.
Chris Obenschain, Aquatics Business Director at Tecniplast, will cover the emerging need for aquatic systems integration, which points to advancements in model utility and the associated holding systems throughout the academic, commercial, and government areas. This need has been on the rise for the past decade.
Obenschain claims that as facility projects and research programs expand and renovate their facilities to accommodate these aquatic systems, challenges and opportunities related to methods and materials arise. As the aquatic systems industry matures, it follows a similar path to mammalian models regarding daily support management, particularly when these holding rooms are located within shared animal facilities, he says.
Another challenge to tackle is the shift in responsibility from researchers to facility directors and animal care staff for program implementation and animal care. This requires a new understanding of parameters, equipment, and facility needs, as well as fundamental animal husbandry associated with aquatic species, Obenschain notes.
Of course, challenges can render benefits in these efforts to streamline and simplify operations. Obenschain believes that the aquatic systems upturn will keep pushing for more standardized care and practice, as well as afford researchers better access and a more consistent quality of care.
To attend the 2008 TurnKey Conference and take part in Obenschain’s session, please click here to sign up. Attendees who sign up prior to December 31, 2007 will save $280 off the regular registration fee.
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