Faculty of Science Animal Facilities

Legal texts

As a reminder, any experimenter using animals is subject to various laws and directives (LPA, OPA,...), which he is supposed to know. The texts related to animal breeding and experimentation are available at the entrance of the animal facilities. Links to view them are also indicated on this page.

Access to the animal facilities

All users of the Faculty of Science animal facilities must have completed Module 1 of Animal Experimentation. Access to the facilities therefore requires this module. Continuing education (the equivalent of one day per year) is mandatory to maintain this access.

A specific training for each animal facility is given to new users by the people in charge of the different structures.

The magnetic card allowing access to the animal facilities is not transferable.

Any person who has been in an animal facility (therefore in the presence of animals of a specific category (fish, rodents,...), must respect a 72 hours delay before entering a new animal facility of the same category. No visit to animal facilites by non-accredited persons is allowed without prior approval by the director of the animal facility concerned.

Animal ID tracking

All animals must be registered in MyAnimals as soon as they are received from the outside, or at the time of weaning. This real-time tracking is a legal requirement. Any change of status of these animals must be reported (experiment, sacrifice, ...)

Transgenic animals and disabling phenotypes

Any transgenic line, even without invalidating phenotype, must be described on an ad hoc file, with a supplement if the line shows an invalidating phenotype (FormM). These documents must be sent to the SCAV. In the case of simple transgenic lines, these documents must be transmitted to the SCAV by the directors of experimentation. In the case of disabling phenotypes, these documents must be transmitted to the head of the animal facilities, who will transmit them to the SCAV. Each of the lines showing invalidating phenotypes must be the subject of an annual breeding report independent of that concerning the other animals.

Experimentation

Any experimentation on animals requires an authorization. This authorization must be approved by the DEA services (the Director of Animal Experimentation, Dr. Roppolo) before being evaluated by the Ethics Commission for Animal Experimentation and by the SCAV. The experimenters as well as the directors of experiments (the latter must have followed the module 2 of animal experimentation training) are responsible for the good progress of the experiments and the respect of the rules, and the respect of the authorized protocols. All experimenters have access to the experimentation requests that concern them. For the rodent facility, the authorization requests can be consulted at Laetitia Bellay's, for the -2 facility (reptiles and exotic mammals) at Dr. Athanasia Tzika's, and for the fish facilities at Valérie Mino's. Valerie Mino has a copy of all the documents of all the animal facilities.

Entry/exit of animals

Any entry of animals in the animal facilities must be announced (to the SCAV if necessary, but obligatorily to the director of each animal facility), this before the animals leave their place of origin. Veterinary certificates are required prior to the import of animals, and if necessary, CITES or other permits. A copy of the import documents must be deposited with Valérie Mino for the -2 animal facilities (fish, reptiles and exotic mammals) and with Laetitia Bellay for the rodent animal facility. Animals leaving the animal facilities cannot be returned to the facility, except in rare cases, evaluated by the director of the animal facility in question.

To group leaders

It is reminded that all members of the laboratories working with animals must not only have completed the Module 1 training in animal experimentation, but also Module 2, and follow the appropriate continuing education. It is also reminded that the animal husbandry accounts of each group must be sent to the responsible of animal facilities between January 1 and 20, each year.

The University's website on animal experimentation contains a lot of interesting and important information, especially concerning the annual statistics of experimentation at the UniGe, the 3Rs principle, and training.

 

Useful documents

Good practices

Legal texts

Federal regulations

Technics