Rodent Facility

Our goal as an animal research facility is to support research that promotes the health and wellbeing of people and animals and to ensure that the facility functions to effectively support the institution's research goals.

In the last 5 years the Animal Facility has continuingly been expanding and renovating its research infrastructure to keep up with the growing demands of biomedical research at the Research Institution and the upsurge of research in translational medicine.

The Animal Facility supports research in genetically modified organisms and experimental mouse and rat models which are invaluable tools for studies of human diseases in biomedical research.

Research involving animals complies with high standards of animal welfare and is conducted according to DGAV and FELASA regulations and recommendations, and internal use animal welfare body (ORBEA-NMS) guidelines.

In the last 5 years the Animal Facility has continuingly been expanding and renovating its research infrastructure to keep up with the growing demands of biomedical research at the Research Institution and the upsurge of research in translational medicine.

The Animal Facility supports research in genetically modified organisms and experimental mouse and rat models which are invaluable tools for studies of human diseases in biomedical research.

Research involving animals complies with high standards of animal welfare and is conducted according to DGAV and FELASA regulations and recommendations, and internal use animal welfare body (ORBEA-NMS) guidelines.

Equipments and services

The Rodent Facility consists of a Barrier Production/Housing/Experimental Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) floor, and a Conventional Housing/Experimental Floor.
The Barrier floor comprises a production area, 6 housing and 2 experimental rooms, and a mouse clean quarantine room. The Experimental floor has two recovery rooms for rat and mouse housing, several supporting experimental labs, a rodent primary cell culture room, a radioactive experimental room, 2 dedicated behavioural rooms, and common shared equipment rooms equipped with fume hoods. Imaging systems, Hypoxia/Hyperoxia, metabolic, and surgical equipment are available for experimental studies as well as -80ºC storage space. A small rodent production service is also available.
The Animal facility has Biosafety ABSL1 and ABSL2 containment levels. Animals cannot be experimentally infected with infectious or zoonotic pathogens.
The facility currently has a maximum capacity for 750 mouse cages and 570 rat cages.

How to use

A entrada no Biotério de Roedores só é permitida a utilizadores autorizados e monitorizada por um sistema de controlo de acessos. Para solicitar autorização de entrada deve ser enviado email para o seguinte endereço de correio eletrónico: rodent.facility@nms.unl.pt.