It’s hard to believe there is only a month or so left in 2020. With the holiday season just around the corner, we’d like to remind you that TransPharm will be closed November 26th and 27th, as well as December 24th through January 1st. We will return to the office on January 4th and look forward to working with you in the new year.

TransPharm performs efficacy testing of novel antimicrobial therapeutics in mice and rats, and some specialized studies require gnotobiotic or germ-free animals. While the average mouse or rat is home to trillions of commensal bacteria and fungi in places like the skin, nose, and gut, germ-free animals are devoid of these microbes. Alternatively, gnotobiotic animals have a known and defined flora.

In order to maintain these conditions, the animals’ environment must be carefully controlled. TransPharm uses freestanding bioBubble® clean rooms in our vivarium to house gnotobiotic and germ-free mice. These soft-walled, positive pressure enclosures are attached to energy-efficient motors which allow the bubble to undergo 80-100 air changes per hour of HEPA-filtered air. The walls are made of clear vinyl, allowing visual access without compromising biocontainment, and the entire system is extremely durable. Our bioBubbles® have been in continuous operation for nearly 12 years.

In addition to being housed in clean rooms, strict husbandry protocols are enforced. Everything that comes into contact with gnotobiotic and germ-free animals must be sterile. Our rodents are caged in Research-Ready™ disposable Innocages®.  These clear, strong, lightweight cages are irradiated and also contain irradiated bedding. Animals are fed an irradiated diet and acidified water to avoid the introduction of microbes. Further, research scientists must wear extensive personal protection equipment (PPE) to prevent contamination. Our scientists wear a disposable Tyvek® suit, hairnet, and respirator as well as goggles, gloves, sleeves, and shoe covers. Animals are only handled with autoclaved tweezers to maintain sterility.

Before and after studies, empty bioBubbles® and study supplies are sterilized using a HaloFogger®. This device transforms a liquid, non-toxic disinfectant into a fine mist of ionized particles that are distributed throughout the bubble, disinfecting every exposed surface.

Stringent testing mechanisms are in place to verify that gnotobiotic animals remain germ-free throughout the duration of studies. To monitor for contamination, fresh feces are regularly collected and plated for colony forming unit (CFU) enumeration.

TransPharm has run numerous studies using germ-free mice and custom validations are available upon request. Contact us today for more information or to request a free, no-obligation quote for your gnotobiotic study.

Recently Validated Infection Models

 

• Acute pulmonary infections
• S. aureus (BAA-1556) in BALB/c mice
• S. aureus (USA300) in CBA/J mice
• P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27853) in BALB/c mice
• A. baumannii (ATCC 17961) in BALB/c mice
• An acute peritonitis model with P. aeruginosa (ATCC 33347) in ICR mice
• A urinary tract infection with E. coli (ATCC 700928) in C3H/HeN mice
• Bacteremia with S. aureus (USA300) in BALB/c mic
• A deep wound dermal infection with S. aureus (USA300) in SKH-1 mice

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TransPharm has partnered with Inflammix

 

 

• FACSCalibur 4-color flow cytometry
• ELISAs for identification and analyses of inflammatory markers and cytokines
• TNF alpha, IL-6, IL-12, IL-18, and many more!
• SDS-PAGE and Western blots