Training and facility induction

Find out more about how to access facilities, training programs and animal ethics at Laboratory Animal Services.

Practical animal training

It is the Chief Investigator’s responsibility that all researchers in their team working with animals must undergo practical training and competency assessment, as required by the Adelaide University Animal Ethics Committee. LAS and the University Veterinarians provide limited practical training and competency assessment.

Facility inductions/access

Before access to our facilities can be granted, a facility specific one-on-one induction must be completed with the Facility’s Team Leader.

Please contact us on +61 8 8313 5340 or las_training@adelaide.edu.au for further information.

If working between both the BRF (biomedical research facility) and LGHRs (lower ground holding rooms), or between the AHMS facilities and Helen Mayo Animal facilities, this will be identified in your induction to provide additional instruction on traffic flows. There are restrictions in moving between facilities within the AHMS building, Laboratory Animal Service (LAS) facilities, the Core Animal Facility (CAF), SAHMRI, and QEH. If working at multiple locations, please speak to the relevant Team Leader prior to planning your experiment.

The AHMS animal facilities are not equipped for infectious work, quarantine and importation, and high-level containment work. Cytotoxic and carcinogenic work is limited but not excluded.

The Helen Mayo Animal Facility offers a range of Physical Containment (PC) rooms certified by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), as well as non-certified spaces.

Containment Levels & Specialised Areas

The facility supports diverse research needs with the following key areas:

PC2 Barrier Facility:
- Six mouse holding rooms.
- Two multipurpose procedure spaces.
- All rooms include Individually Ventilated Cages (IVC) and change stations.
PC2 Clean Room:
- Ideal for housing immune-compromised mice.
- Fitted with IVCs and a change station.
PC2 Containment Facility:
- Three mouse holding rooms.
- Rooms are equipped with IVCs and Biological Safety Cabinets (BSC).

Conventional & Specialty Housing

The facility also provides conventional housing options and approved arrangements:

Conventional Facility (PC2, PC1, & Non-Certified):
- Holding rooms for rats, mice, and other species.
- Cages include a mix of IVCs (for mice and rats) and open-top cages (for rats).
- Includes an Approved Arrangement (AA) for Xenopus housing.
Rodent Approved Arrangement (AA) Rooms:
- Two dedicated rooms for housing imported rats and mice.

The AHMS animal facilities support biomedical research within the West End Health Precinct. First opened in 2018, the animal facility includes two designated holding areas for rodents, all under OGTR certified PC2 conditions.

Area 1. Commonly known as the BRF (Biomedical Research Facility), the clean facility is designed to maintain a Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) health status, making it ideal for immunocompromised animals and long-term studies. The BRF is inclusive of four animal holding rooms and three laboratory spaces.

Strict exclusion procedures are enforced to maintain the SPF status. This includes but is not limited to working within a cage changing station, using Individually Ventilated Caging (IVC), HEPA filtered air in all areas, autoclaved materials, and requiring a high level of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Animal entry is restricted to authorised suppliers, and animals removed from the facility do not return to this area.
Two of the three laboratory spaces contain Class II Biosafety Cabinets. All three laboratory spaces are fitted for anaesthesia and surgical procedures as well as C02 delivery. Specialised equipment like microscopes, centrifuges, behavioural equipment are decontaminated via Vaporised Hydrogen Peroxide prior to entry. Technical equipment (computers, printers etc.) is supplied within the facility as basic supplies like lab books are not brought in.
There is laboratory space available for behavioural testing, and procedures such as overnight recording, but need to be discussed with the Team Leader to ensure availability of space.

Area 2. Commonly known as the LGHRs (lower ground holding rooms) these two animal holding rooms have a lower health status and are designed for short-term use.

The holding capacity in these two areas is vastly reduced compared to the BRF due to this short-term intention.
The LGHRs do not have a laboratory space attached, and so only basic handling, monitoring, weighing, and basic injections can be completed within the animal holding room. All surgical procedures, blood collection, behavioural testing, intensive monitoring, and end-point sample collection is completed elsewhere within the building.
Animals that transient to other floors are housed in the LGHRs as there is a higher risk for attracting an unwanted pathogen when entering areas of the building without HEPA filtered air, autoclaved materials, cage changing stations, and lesser PPE requirements.
Immunocompromised animals can be accommodated within the LGHRs with limitations.

While transport within the building is accepted animals are not kept overnight in any of the laboratory spaces on the research floors.

Online equipment and room bookings

Access to all equipment and room bookings here, using your Adelaide University login.

EZbooking

Contact us

Location
Helen Mayo Building
Adelaide City Campus East
Adelaide University SA 5005

Phone: +61 8 8313 5340
Email: las.manager@adelaide.edu.au