The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) implements policies and guidelines regarding the use of animals in research, testing, and teaching at Michigan Technological University.
Policies and Procedures
General IACUC Policies and Procedures outline and describe regulatory authorities which governs animal use, administration organizational structure, protocol reviews and procedures, semiannual program reviews, non-compliance investigations, reporting and record keeping requirements, and training requirements for personnel, investigators, and members.
The following Animal Procedure Policies are related to specific animal care and use procedures:
- Animal Procurement
- Euthanasia Criteria for Rodents
- Mouse Breeding Colony Management
- Rat Breeding Colony Management
- Rodent Survival Surgery
- Rodent Transportation - On and Off Campus
- Rodent Cage Card Identification
- Rodent Barbering
- Ulcerative Dermatitis
Certain drugs and other substances are classified as “controlled substances” through
the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. At Michigan Tech, all work done with controlled substances must be on file with
the Research Integrity Office.
Anyone using controlled substances for research must:
- obtain the appropriate licenses,
- use approved purchasing mechanisms,
- submit for review and follow approved security and work practices, and
- only use approved disposal methods for any excess or off-spec substances.
Each researcher working with controlled substances must obtain their own personal license. Michigan Tech does not maintain institutional licenses for controlled substances. Both a federal (Drug Enforcement Administration) and state license must be obtained before ordering or using any controlled substance. See links to the right for a step-by-step guide to applying for a license. The application process is lengthy and can take up to 12 months to complete, so start early. Researchers are personally responsible and legally liable for the storage, use, and management of any controlled substances obtained with their licenses.
Once both licenses have been obtained, copies must be provided to the Research Integrity Office. Controlled substances that are to be used in vertebrate animal research must be used under an approved animal protocol and must be ordered through the Research Integrity Office. Controlled substances for all other uses must have an approved standard operating procedure and must be ordered through University Chemical Stores.
All controlled substance documentation will be reviewed during the license holder’s annual laboratory inspection. This includes use logs, the presence of authorized user questionnaires, and the biannual inventory.
Examples of common controlled substances:
Schedule I: LSD, heroin, marijuana. Requires special licensing; contact Research Integrity
Office before applying.
Schedule II: sodium pentobarbital.
Schedule III: ketamine, buprenorphine, midazolam.
Schedule IV: diazepam, midazolam, clonazepam.
Schedule V: nothing of relevance to animal research.
Please contact the Research Integrity Office at researchintegrity@mtu.edu with any questions.
Research with Zebrafish
Note: This document outlines important information for researchers interested in using Zebrafish at Michigan Technological University (MTU). All policies and procedures regarding animal care and use at MTU are available on the Animal Care and Use website.
Purpose
This document provides information on housing, care, and euthanasia of zebrafish at Michigan Technological University.
Background
Per guidance from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), zebrafish are regulated research animals once they have hatched, which is approximately 3 days post-fertilization (DPF). Once hatched all fish, including adults used solely for breeding purposes, are subject to Public Health Service (PHS), OLAW, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Animal Care Facility (ACF) policies and procedures, including, but not limited to Animal Procurement, Housing & Husbandry, Recordkeeping, and Euthanasia. As with any animal subject research at MTU, the Principal Investigator (PI) must have an approved active IACUC protocol in place before any research related activities can begin.
Animal Procurement
Zebrafish must be procured through the ACF. Please contact acf-l for more information.
Housing and Procedure Location(s)
Due to the strict monitoring and environmental conditions required for zebrafish, Michigan Tech’s Animal Care Facility (ACF) is the approved housing location for all zebrafish. Satellite locations for housing and/or procedures must be described, justified, and approved by the IACUC. All approved satellite locations must pass an initial IACUC inspection and undergo semi-annual inspections to maintain status as an approved location.
Husbandry and Record Keeping Requirements
- Husbandry
- Zebrafish will be housed in the ACF
- Appropriate tank census range is determined by the volume of water of each tank
- ACF personnel provide all care and support tasks
- Documentation
- Daily health checks (including weekends and holidays)
- Water quality monitoring
- Daily feeding activities
- Water changes at a predetermined frequency
- Tank-level Identification
- Predetermined information is required on all tanks at all times (via Tank ID Cards)
- Environmental Monitoring
- Temperature control (macro- and micro-environment)
- Diurnal light cycle
- Sensors to alert personnel to environmental changes and limits
Transportation
- Transportation of fish is not recommended. If transportation is justified and approved by the IACUC and the ACF Veterinarian, safe transport of zebrafish to satellite locations will be arranged by the ACF.
- Transit time, vibration, and exposure to inclement weather will be minimized
- Public areas will be avoided when possible
Euthanasia
Acceptable euthanasia procedures for zebrafish differ by age group. Please refer to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals when describing in the protocol which method will be used. If you have any questions about the euthanasia guidelines, please contact acf-l to arrange a consultation with the ACF Director and Veterinarian for additional guidance.
References
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare: Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Frequently Asked Questions. https://olaw.nih.gov/guidance/faqs
- Guidelines for Animal Study Proposals using Zebrafish in the NIH Intramural Research Program. https://oacu.oir.nih.gov/system/files/media/file/2023-08/b17_zebrafish.pdf
- American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Animals. https://www.avma.org/sites/default/files/2020-02/Guidelines-on-Euthanasia-2020.pdf
The following Additional IACUC Policies are for various animal care and use activities:
- Administrative Approvals of Amendments
- Adoption of Laboratory Rabbits
- Controlled Substances, Drugs, and Chemicals in Animal Subjects
- Using Designated Member Review Following Full Committee Review of a Submitted Protocol
- Documentation of Research Staff Training
- Field Study Policy
- Veterinary Verification and Consultation