Rodent Quarantine Program

The RARC Rodent Quarantine Program, located within a Biomedical Research Model Services (BRMS) facility, provides services to all campus researchers with rodent lines coming to the UW-Madison campus from non-approved vendors.

These rodent lines may have pathogens that can affect research and ascertaining what pathogens the rodents have is necessary to determine which UW facilities they are permitted to be housed in.

Sometimes rodent lines must be rederived in order to clean up a particular line from unwanted pathogens and/or for housing in clean facilities. Genome Editing and Animal Models (GEAM) here on the UW campus provides rederivation services to investigators.

Pathogen testing, cage per diems, and GEAM service costs are the labs responsibility.

In order to minimize the risk of rodent pathogens and ensure a quiet acclimating environment, research staff cannot access quarantine.

This flowchart outlines steps for researchers bringing rodent lines to UW-Madison from non-approved vendors.