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Image of zebrafish swimming on left with Animal Care & Use Program Newsletter text in middle, and image of young boy having eyes checked on far right
–  JUNE 2022  –
News & Updates for the U-M Animal Care & Use Community
Banner over image of ULAM husbandry personnel with notification that modified husbandry tasks went into effect May 23, 2022
Amid new and ongoing challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) has been faced with staffing shortages that require an adjustment to existing ULAM husbandry practices in order to ensure continued quality animal care and maximize staff efficiency.
   
These changes, which took effect on Monday, May 23, 2022, and will continue until further notice, include a variety of specific husbandry tasks such as change-outs for ventilated racks and rodent feeders, rodent enrichment items, and general room maintenance activities (e.g., sweeping, mopping, dusting, and polishing). A summary of all changes is available on the Animal Care & Use Program website.
   
Although it is expected that these modifications will have little to no impact on animal welfare or ongoing projects, this information is being shared in the interest of full transparency. Questions or concerns about these changes should be directed to the ULAM Husbandry Management Team at ulam-h-managers@umich.edu.
Read the full announcement for more information
WHAT'S NEW
Hello My Name is a NEW Member of Your Animal Care Team icon on green background
Two New Staffing Changes in the Animal Care & Use Office
The Animal Care & Use Office is pleased to announce the following staffing changes: Ashley Duval, AAS, LATG, has joined the Quality Assurance Team and Laura King, BS, has been named the new Research Compliance Associate for PIs with last names beginning M – R.
Always wear the appropriate PPE. Research Safety First, Safety Every Day thumbnail badge icon
Units Partner to Streamline, Strengthen Research Safety Processes
To continue strengthening laboratory and research safety across the University of Michigan (U-M), EHS is partnering with the U-M Research and Academic Safety Committee to develop and implement a new phase of its research safety initiative.
OTHER NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS 
WHAT'S TRENDING
Personnel icons with four different individuals wearing summer attire marked as acceptable or unacceptable in the lab
Get Ready for Summer with Proper Personal Attire in the Lab
Wearing proper personal attire in the lab and animal care facilities protects both you and the animals entrusted to our care. With the warmer summer months ahead, we ask that you review the basics of proper personal attire in the lab with your staff, including all students who may be involved with research.
Image of woman working with samples under a biosafety cabinet hood. FAQ icon over top of image.
Animal-Derived Substances and IBC Approval: Swine and Ruminant Materials
Research that involves certain types of animal-derived substances – including materials from swine and ruminants – requires advance approval from the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). Review FAQs about BSL2 containment practices and requirements, and learn where to get help. 
OTHER TRENDING ANNOUNCEMENTS 
IMPORTANT DATES
Friday, June 17, 2022 text with arrows pointing to reminder about Anesthetic Machine Servicing Authorization Form due date
Anesthetic Machine Servicing Authorization Form Due
If you own or use a vaporizer/anesthetic machine that is due for its yearly maintenance and you would like ULAM to coordinate the servicing on your behalf, please complete and submit the Authorization Form by Friday, June 17, 2022.
 
Due to limited availability, servicing requests submitted after June 17 may not be fulfilled. Information on applicable service(s) and fees is available on the ACU Program website.
 
Questions about requesting service should be directed to ULAM Veterinary Technician Amy Boekhout at alss@med.umich.edu or (734) 615-2068.
Friday, July 1, 2022 text with chevron arrows pointing to reminder about expected adherence to new buprenorphine dosing guidelines for mice and rats
Expected Adherence to Buprenorphine Dosing Changes for Mice and Rats
The Guidelines on Anesthesia & Analgesia in Mice and the Guidelines on Anesthesia & Analgesia in Rats were updated in March to reflect changes to buprenorphine dosing intervals, specifically the injectable formulation(s) of buprenorphine hydrochloride, for mice and rats.

It is expected that all protocols impacted by this change will be updated no later than July 1, 2022, to align with the new guidance. After July 1, individuals who are found to be conducting procedures inconsistent with what is outlined in their IACUC approved protocol may be reported for non-compliance, pursuant to standard practices.

Review the original announcement on the ACU Program website for more information, including details on the new dosing frequency, available alternatives (including a recent update from the manufacturer of Ethiqa XR® regarding the drug’s storage and use), and who to contact with questions or concerns.
UPDATED DOCUMENTS
The following documents have been recently updated. For a summary of changes, including a brief description of how your research may be impacted, click on the title of each document.

A full list of recently updated documents pre-sorted by Last Updated Date is available on the
Animal Care A-Z website.
Orange P icon with link to all animal care and use policies
Featured Policy Updates  
Purple S icon with link to all animal care and use standard operating procedures
Featured SOP Updates
ANIMAL IMPACT
Zhen Xu, Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Tejaswi Worlikar, Biomedical Engineering PhD student discuss the 700kHz, 260-element histotripsy ultrasound array transducer they use in Prof. Xu’s lab. Credit: Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering
Noninvasive sound technology developed at the University of Michigan breaks down liver tumors in rats, kills cancer cells, and spurs the immune system to prevent further spread—an advance that could lead to improved cancer outcomes in humans.

By destroying only 50% to 75% of liver tumor volume, the rats’ immune systems were able to clear away the rest, with no evidence of recurrence or metastases in more than 80% of animals.

“Even if we don’t target the entire tumor, we can still cause the tumor to regress and also reduce the risk of future metastasis,” said Zhen Xu, professor of biomedical engineering at U-M and corresponding author of the study in Cancers.
Read the full article
Animal Care & Use Program logo with programmatic mission statement that reads, "The Animal Care & Use Program supports the University of Michigan community in its pursuit of impactful science to benefit both human and animal health by  fostering a culture of excellence and compassion, responsible research conduct, and a shared commitment to upholding the highest animal welfare standards in all aspects of research and instruction."
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CONTACT US
animalcare.umich.edu    acu-communications@umich.edu
University of Michigan  412 Victor Vaughan  Ann Arbor, MI  48109
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