Welcome

Mission Statement

LARC's Mission is to:

• Provide quality care for all animals used at the University of California, San Francisco.
• Assist the faculty in their mission of quality research with respect to the use of laboratory animals.
• Act as a resource center for the faculty on all issues relating to laboratory animals.
• Assist the University to meet its goal of humane treatment of laboratory animals.

The Laboratory Animal Resource Center (LARC) of the University of California, San Francisco is administratively part of the Office of Research Services in the Research unit of the University.

UCSF AAALAC Accreditation

UCSF is very pleased to report that the UCSF animal research program has been independently evaluated by AAALAC International and found to be truly outstanding in all respects.

A six-person team conducted a four-day site visit of UCSF’s animal care and use program, thoroughly examining UCSF campus animal facilities and research protocols. This included meetings with lab members, animal care staff, management, safety professionals, and many others supporting animal research. The AAALAC team was very impressed with everyone’s knowledge and obvious dedication to ensure the utmost in animal welfare and laboratory safety practices.

As of 2025 UCSF has FULL AAALAC ACCREDITATION.

For further information about AAALAC International, please visit the AAALAC Website.

LARC Per Diem Rate Changes

LARC has a goal to provide excellent laboratory animal care while keeping our per diem prices as low as possible for the research laboratories of whom we provide care for.

Notice of New LARC Rates
UCSF Budget Office has reviewed and approved FY 25-26 LARC recharge rates. New rates will go into effect on 7/01/2025. The new rate table is attached.

Projected Rates FY 26-27 
The UCSF Budget Office has requested that LARC rates be recalculated on a regular frequent schedule. Please take into account that the attached rates will increase by 4-5% in the next fiscal year.

Recent Departmental Publications

	Zawacki ZE, Sharpe JA, Porco TC, Lindstrom KE. "Effects of Nesting Material and Housing Parameters on Feed Wastage Behavior in Female Swiss Webster Mice". Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. 2024;63(5):495-503. doi: 10.30802/AALAS-JAALAS-24-000010
	Kristina Hicks et al. 2021 "Effects of Maternal Fenbendazole on Litter Size, Survival Rate, and Weaning Weight in C57BL/6J Mice" J. Am. Assoc. for Lab. Animal Science. November 2021; 60 (6): 630–636
	Larry Carbone. 2011. "Pain in Laboratory Animals: The Ethical and Regulatory Imperatives" . PLoS One. September 2011; 6: 9: e21578
	Elizabeth T Carbone et al. 2012. "Duration of Action of Sustained-Release Buprenorphine in 2 Strains of Mice"  J. Am. Assoc. for Lab. Animal Science. November 2012; 51 (6): 815-819
	Krista E Lindstrom et al. 2011. "Soiled Bedding Sentinels for the Detection of Fur Mites in Mice" . J. Am. Assoc. for Lab. Animal Science. Jan 2011; 50 (1): 54-60
	John Parker et al. 2011. "Effects of Multimodal Analgesia on the Success of Mouse EmbryoTransfer surgery". J. Am. Assoc. for Lab. Animal Science. July 2011; 50 (4): 466-470.
	Larry Carbone. 2011. "Pain in Laboratory Animals: The Ethical and Regulatory Imperatives" . PLoS One. September 2011; 6: 9: e21578.
	Krista E Lindstrom et al. 2018. "Contaminated Shipping Materials Identified as the Source of Rotaviral Infection of Exported Mice". J. Am. Assoc. for Lab. Animal Science. September 2018; 57 (5): 529-533.