The mission of the Research Laboratory Animal Facility (LAF) at the Fox Chase Cancer Center is to provide Veterinary, Diagnostic and Regulatory Support for the biomedical research community of the Center. This Institution has established and maintains a program for activities involving rodents according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide). The Fox Chase Cancer Center animal care and use program has been fully accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC) since 1969.
The LAF has been in existence since 1948 and is one of the original support services for the Fox Chase Cancer Center. It is responsible for the procurement, care, breeding and health monitoring of all rodents used in the various Research Programs of the Fox Chase Cancer Center, supporting studies in immunology, developmental biology, virology, cancer prevention, and cancer therapeutic development. The staff members are experts in the husbandry and health care of the rodent species including genetically modified mouse models and immunodeficient rodents.
The Facility Director, Sr. Manager and Attending Veterinarian consult and provide guidance to researchers in methods for their experimental models. All research performed in the animal facility has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). For some research protocols, additional review by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBS) is also required.
This facility derives partial funding from the FCCC Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) from the National Cancer Institute.