By Sarah Wang | Staff Writer
Hidden as one of the Baylor Sciences Building’s restricted areas, the BSB Vivarium is the place where animals used for scientific research projects are cared for.
At a time when the ethics of animal rights are debated, the Vivarium strives to facilitate research while ensuring animal welfare.
The term vivarium points to a biomedical facility that is carefully monitored by researchers to foster animals used in the scientific research process. According to its website, the Vivarium provides husbandry and care services for these animals — mainly rodents — and also serves as a source for all vertebrate animal users for various research projects.
“I want to make sure that the animals that we use in research are well cared for and that we take into account their welfare,” Dr. Ryan Stoffel, attending veterinarian and animal program director, said.
Natashia Howard, office manager of the BSB director’s office, said she previously worked as the laboratory animal assistant in the Vivarium. She said it was often routine, as she would have to change cages and make sure every animal was fed and happy. However, she also said it could be surprising at times.
“There’s something new every day,” Howard said. “Animals are living beings, whether they’re research animals or pets, and so they always have surprises for you.”
Stoffel said the Vivarium also provides training for the investigators on how to handle the animals and perform various research procedures on them.
“We just tried to make sure that we’re accounting for the animals’ welfare and making sure that we are housing the animals so that they’re suitable for the use in research projects,” Stoffel said.
Howard said having a veterinarian — who not only understands research but is also trained and certified in animal care and medicine — as the director of the facility is how the BSB set out to facilitate research while still ensuring the welfare of the animals.
According to Howard, Stoffel is spearheading all of the requirements and protocols for the researchers, including education on strategies like pain management, in case anything that may induce pain is being done to the animals.
“[It is] what we would call endpoints,” Howard said. “If someone is inducing diabetes, or even cancer cell growth, at what point do we say we need to stop for the comfort and care of the animal? So those protocols and boundaries are set up in place before any researcher does any type of research within the BSB.”
Stoffel said that as part of the Animal Care and Use Program, Baylor has the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which looks at approved protocols from investigators regarding their use of animals. He said this is how they know how animals are being used and make sure they are used appropriately.
According to Stoffel, the Vivarium is involved with research projects of a number of departments, including the biology, chemistry, biochemistry, psychology, neuroscience and environmental science departments.
“The BSB Vivarium has top-notch facilities, and the helpful staff are easy to communicate with,” Dr. Lara Hwa, assistant professor of neuroscience, said.
As the attending veterinarian, Stoffel said he envisions the facility continuing to grow by providing additional services to the investigators.
“We’re a service for the researcher,” Stoffel said. “Our main goal is just to make sure that the animal care and husbandry is taken care of, and then make sure the animals are housed appropriately for the various research studies.”
According to Howard, the fact that the Vivarium is located in a restricted area is what keeps most people from getting to know the facility.
“We’re kind of like up in the sky — which to some extent, that’s a good thing as far as security and keeping things contained and controlled,” Howard said.
Howard said people sometimes wonder if they’re doing anything cruel to the animals. However, she said it is not like research in the 1940s, before there were regulations.
“Baylor is definitely in compliance with all of those things,” Howard said. “We’re not doing anything weird up there.”
In fact, Howard said the research mice and rats get fed very well and are “living the plush life.”
