Are you sufficiently prepared?

Over the last few months, heavy rains in the Midwest taxed the capacity of several major rivers, including the Mississippi, Cedar, and Iowa, wreaking havoc in the lives of thousands of people. Areas threatened included several University of Iowa buildings. Although not directly threatened by flood waters, three buildings where research animals are housed were at risk of losing electrical service and drinking water.  To avoid a potential disaster, University staff relocated equipment and research animals, including some 20,000 mice, in these facilities to an alternate site where the critical resources – electricity, temperature, and drinking water - needed to maintain the animals were less likely to be affected. The University of Iowa’s emergency plans were executed perfectly, and no animals were lost.  However, this event acutely reminded the University that, as prepared as they were, Mother Nature could have dealt them a much harsher blow. Dr. Paul Cooper, University of Iowa Veterinarian, directed the preemptive animal evacuation. He stated: “We never expected this type of disaster to take place here in Iowa. It proved that good disaster planning is necessary, including flexibility as it plays out. Since you never know what disaster may occur, or when, it is also important to preemptively consider all methods of protection of animals, which may include multiple colony housing locations and cryopreservation of critical lines.”

Are you prepared for a natural disaster that could wipe out your valuable research mice? Have you considered cryopreserving and storing your strains? Let our experts give you peace of mind while saving you space, time, and money. We can cryopreserve and recover sperm or embryos from mutant, inbred, and genetically modified mouse strains. Service features include the following:

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