Facilities
The Biomedical and Behavioural Research Unit (BBRU) has a range of facilities which include:
- Computerised tracking systems and data analysis systems
- Specific pathogen free housing conditions available if required
- Capacity for a number of surgical techniques e.g. the implantation of drug delivery systems or injections of drugs intra-cerebrally.
- Considerable expertise in the analysis of physiological properties of transgenic animals
Services
The unit offers services for pre-clinical studies and physiological measurements in rodents.
These include:
- Short term and long-term studies of physiological parameters, e.g., for drug studies
- Blood sampling
- Tissue sampling
- Analysis of physiological parameters, e.g., blood sugar levels, hormone levels
- Activity analysis, e.g., day-night activity cycle, food and liquid intake Cognitive performance analysis, e.g., water maze learning tasks, skinner box conditioning tasks
Industrial applications
Industry can work with the unit to customise their vivo research requirements in areas such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer growth and blood vessel growth and development.
We place the highest emphasis on animal welfare and adheres strictly to the law with regard to the ethical framework of the three R's: replace, reduce, refine for conducting scientific experiments that involve animals.
Benefits to Industry
We are committed to high quality research and teaching which makes a a vital contribution to the understanding, treatment and cure of a range of health problems and diseases. We ensure that whenever animals are absolutely necessary to carry out any research aiming to improve human and animal health, that all animals under its care are looked after to the highest standards of health and welfare.
