CMP Ancillary Facilities

Reynolds Medical Building 

The Reynolds Medical Building (RMB) has ten rooms and an ABSL-3 Biohazard suite used to house CMP-maintained research animals which include rats, mice and guinea pigs.  The building also contains a “Clean Cage Area” and a “Dirty Cage Area.”  Clean, delivered equipment is stored in the “Clean Cage Area” until its use the next day.  Equipment that has been used is stored in the “Dirty Cage Area” until it is picked up by the LARR Main Delivery Crew and taken back to the LARR Main cage wash area to be cleaned.  Caging and extra supplies are delivered to the Medical Building the day before it is needed.  If investigative personnel require equipment for any reason, it can be found in the clean cage area.  Health checks are reported to the CMP Animal Health Area Coordinator.  Any issues concerning the building or rooms are reported to the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center (TAMUSHSC) Facilities Coordinator or the TAMUSHSC Animal Resources Supervisor.

Investigators wishing to house animals and conduct research at RMB need to contact Bill Bertrand, the Animal Resources Supervisor for TAMUSHSC.  Access to the Biohazard suite is dependant on clearance by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).  Keys and access to the Biohazard suite are given by George Martin, the Facilities Coordinator for TAMUSHSC.

 Psychology Building 

The Psychology Building contains eleven rooms used for housing CMP-maintained research animals which include rats and mice.  Caging equipment is delivered from the LARR Main Facility to the Psychology Building daily and is always delivered the day before it is needed.  Extra equipment is kept in an unoccupied animal room.  The Psychology Building contains a tunnel wash system used to wash Investigative equipment and some equipment used by CMP personnel.  CMP sanitizes its feeders, water bottles, cage card holders, and sipper tubes using the tunnel wash at the Psychology Building while the cages are brought back to the LARR Main Facility by the Delivery Crew to be sanitized.  The detergent that is used at the Psychology Building is a chlorinated based soap.  Temperature strips are sent through the tunnel wash system weekly to insure water temperatures reach required levels and are then saved and logged at LARR Main.  Health concerns are reported to the Animal Health Area Coordinator at the LARR Main Facility.

Access to the animal rooms in the Psychology Building for research purposes is only given to Psychology Faculty.  If an investigator wishes to perform animal research, they must first collaborate with an investigator already performing research.  Access to the animal room is then given by the Principle Investigator already using the room for animal research.  Any animal care and husbandry is then coordinated with CMP.

 Veterinary Research Building 

The Veterinarian Research Building (VRB) contains an ABSL-3 Biohazard suite in which CMP-maintained research animals (mice) are housed.  This suite consists of three laboratories and one animal room.  The animal room contains four cubicles with garage-style glass doors behind which the animals are housed.  Three of the cubicles are used for animal housing while the fourth contains the ventilation hood used for cage change-outs.  A cart for extra equipment is kept against a wall in the middle pathway of the room.  Caging used at the VRB consists of an autoclavable amber mouse cage, a grid top, a micro-isolator lid, and a low profile water bottle.  All personnel entering/exiting the Biohazard suite or Biohazard airlock or handling equipment must be cleared by the DOJ.  Caging is delivered from the LARR Main facility by DOJ cleared personnel and placed inside the Biohazard suite airlock.  Once the CMP technician is inside of the suite he/she will pull the clean equipment into the room from the airlock and begin the cage change-out.  All dirty equipment is placed in biohazard bags which are then sealed and sprayed with a disinfectant and then stacked onto a cart.  The cart is placed back into the airlock for pick up by DOJ cleared delivery personnel and brought back to LARR Main for the bagged equipment to be autoclaved.

Access to the Biohazard suite is dependant on DOJ clearance and is only given to those individuals included in Dr. Thomas Ficht’s AUP or guests of those individuals.