Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle have evacuated approximately 100,000 research animals from its aging health science building after a lab accreditation group placed the institution on probation, with six months to renovate or risk losing accreditation. The university estimated it will have to spend at least $20 million to bring the facilities up-to-date.Infractions included overcrowded rooms and spaces filled with dust and strong odors, rooms cluttered with supplies being used for surgeries, and areas where the temperature commonly shifts daily by up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit. The health sciences building was filled with signs of wear and tear, including peeled paint and chipped floors, which can harbor pathogens.Officials from Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC), a voluntary accreditation organization, list these and other problems they noticed during their inspection in a ten-page document released by UW.AAALAC executive director John Miller told The...
The Scientistkilling approximately 500 research miceparticularly egregious oversightsmail@the-scientist.comThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/21343http://www.aaalac.orgThe Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/23984/The Scientisthttp://www.the-scientist.com/article/display/13499/
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