Each fall since 1950, the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science has held its annual National Meeting. During the five days of the meeting, members and nonmembers come together to enjoy the workshops, lectures, poster sessions, and exhibits. The program is designed to have topics relevant to the entire membership. The AALAS National
This team of researchers in the Biology Department at Western University are investigating metabolic ways to increase efficiency of reprogramming adult cells to iPSCs. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, which means they can turn into any cell type found in the adult body and are therefore critical for human development1. Stem cells show great promise in
Since the first CO2 incubators were made commercially available in the late 1960’s they have become a staple for researchers to grow and maintain cells in vitro. These chambers have been highly effective for this task; however, they do not take into account one significant factor - oxygen. Currently, there is a push from
Manual colony counting method A typical manual counting scenario looks like this: The researcher finds an object and decides whether it is a colony. If it is determined to be a colony, the researcher then ascertains if it meets a minimum threshold to be a colony. If it does then 1 is added to
The capability to precisely and non-invasively measure the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, on top of heart rate and other blood flow parameters in rodents, can be of great clinical value to researchers. The non-invasive rat and mouse blood pressure measurement consists of using a tail-cuff placed on the tail to occlude blood flow.
This free webinar hosted by Scintica Instrumentation provides an overview of different rodent anesthesia options and highlights the importance of rodent surgical monitoring and user safety. Topics discussed include: the benefits of inhalation versus injectable anesthesia, the physiological side effects of anesthesia, increasing Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) requirements,
Why is surgical monitoring important? Updates found in the 8th edition of the National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals highlight the importance of thermoregulation, and vital signs monitoring during surgical procedures. This updated guide has led to increasing Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) requirements for surgical
Clinical advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease stem from essential pre-clinical research. Small animal models, such as rodents, are used to study the pathophysiology of disease as well as the effects of pharmacologic interventions. In some cases, surgical methods are required to generate a disease model, such as transverse aortic constriction
Let's talk lab safety Anesthesia is essential in small animal research. Many different types of anesthetics are available, and understanding the associated benefits and risks helps to ensure animal and user safety. Certain procedures may necessitate injectable anesthesia, however, there are multiple advantages to using inhalants whenever possible. With injectables, difficulty choosing
