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.

UCSF has continued FULL AAALAC ACCREDITATION and we look forward to AAALAC's next site visit as of early 2025.

 

Commendations to recent AAALAC visit:

• Well-written and very thorough Program Description;

• Outstanding institutional support for the animal research program, as demonstrated by well-maintained, older facilities, the addition of new facilities, the consistency of the program across geographically-decentralized facilities, and the engagement of the IO in the program;

• The forward thinking plan to convert housing at one of your locations to individually ventilated caging.

• Very knowledgeable and engaged IACUC;

• The generally comprehensive EH&S/OHS program for animal users that accurately tracked use of hazardous materials in animals;

• Healthy, well-adjusted animals;

• Generally excellent enrichment program;

• Dedicated and knowledgeable veterinarians, veterinary care staff, and animal care staff;

• Dedicated facilities personnel who are actively engaged in forwarding the program;

• The staff recognition program and support for and monetary compensation after certification;

• Excellent animal health records, including records for rodent surgery and analgesic use;

• Comprehensive training program;

• Computer program for tracking animal health cases;

• Excellent cage signage in all facilities.

UCSF extends deep gratitude to all of the research personnel, EH&S, Occupational Health, Facilities Services, LARC, and IACUP staff, and our IACUC Committee members for your contributions to this collective success.

The site visitors’ recommendation of continuing full accreditation is a clear measure of UCSF’s unwavering commitment to research excellence, animal welfare, and laboratory safety.

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.

 

LARC Recharge Rates FY 24-25

 
Per Diem Rates Unit Current-Effective 7/8/2024

Dog / Swine

per animal

$37.53

Sheep

per animal

$43.52

Primate

per animal

$32.72

Rodents ‐ BSL2/ Immunodeficient / IRQ

per cage

$2.39

Rodent- BSL3 per cage $2.64
USDA-covered rodents per cage $2.95

Rats ‐ Barrier & Conventional

per cage

$1.90

Mice ‐ Barrier & Conventional per cage $1.09

Rabbits / Guinea pigs

per animal

$7.67

Amphibians

per tank

$14.39

Birds

per cage

$4.88

   

Other Rates

   

Surgery ‐ assisted hour

per hour

$528.00

Surgery ‐ unassisted hour

per hour

$114.00

Veterinarian

per hour

$184.00

Complex Surgical Procedures

per hour

$98.00

Vet Nurse/ SRA

per hour

$89.00

Manager/Supervisor per hour $111.00
Animal Tech per hour $62.00

Driver

per hour

$60.00

Commercial Animal ‐ surcharge

all animals

16.5%

 

 

Recent Departmental Publications:

 

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.