MAJOR EQUIPMENT
Updated: 22 June 2022
Major Equipment for Emory Gnotobiotic Animal Core (EGAC) Users
EMORY GNOTOBIOTIC ANIMAL CORE (EGAC)
The Emory Gnotobiotic Animal Core (EGAC), one of the Emory Integrated Core Facilities (EICF), provides services that include experiments using germ-free mice and mice with defined microbiota. Major equipment in the EGAC includes:
Gnotobiotic semi-rigid isolators (Parkbio): The EGAC contains sixteen 3’ foot wide rigid isolators (Parkbio), each with the capacity to house 12 mice cages each. Each cage has a maximum capacity of 5 mice per cage. The chamber of the gnotobiotic isolator is constructed of polypropylene on five sides. The front panel or window can be either flexible PVC. The chamber of the isolator is 3’ foot wide rigid each with the capacity to house 12 mice cages each. The isolators are versatile and can be used for containment, germ-free and exclusion applications. The isolators have high quality cartridge type HEPA filters on both intake and exhaust air systems that provide top axenic security. The glove sleeve design is very spacious especially in the shoulder area allowing greater freedom of movement making the semi-rigid isolators highly ergonomic. The isolators are durable and made of impact resistant polypropylene construction which doesn't corrode from sterilants.
Tecniplast ISOcageP Bioexclusion system: These are airtight individual mouse cages with high positive pressure that are specifically designed for germ-free, gnotobiotic and bioexclusion studies. The ISO cage system is the latest design for gontobiotics and germ-free animals because it allows researchers to undertake up to 36 simultaneous gnotobiotic studies, compared to only one study at a time in conventional multi-cage gnotobiotic isolators. Features include strong bioexclusion for animal protection through cage level HEPA filter, combining the protection of an isolator with the ergonomics and density of an IVC cage for maximum animal safety, and saves space and costs with multiple studies on the same rack.