The “mouse house” will accommodate highly specialised mice on behalf of medical research organisations including St Vincent’s Hospital, Universities of NSW, Newcastle and Western Sydney, the Children’s Cancer Institute of Australia and the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute.

The state-of-the-art facility has the capacity to house 40,000 mice with more than 400 different genetic types in sterile “BioBubbles”, the first of their kind in Australia.

Mice will be used in research into cancer, diabetes, brain disorders, auto-immune and inflammatory conditions, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Each BioBubble contains 1600 mouse boxes with individual air filtration, and controlled lighting and noise levels, to reduce stress on the mice.

Researchers working at partner institute will be able to control their mouse colonies through web-based software named Stuart (after the fictional mouse Stuart Little) and a high-speed data network.

Garvan chairman Bill Ferris said the centre would benefit the wider research community, which had until now relied on often antiquated and cramped premises with no room to expand.

For the full story see the Southern Highland News, Wednesday, July 30

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