Service updates

We are pleased to bring you updates on our services and portal features, including changes to rat strain ages, updated animal tiers, and the introduction of an alopecia check for select strains.

Rats available up to 6 weeks of age

As previously communicated, our animals have been moved to temporary housing while our new facility is undergoing refitting. Space in our temporary rat facility is limited, and we have been consulting with animal facilities that order rats to find a solution that will allow us to expand our rat lines.

Starting next week, we will offer rats only up to 6 weeks of age through our portal. This adjustment is made possible through collaboration with receiving animal facilities that have agreed to house and age the rats as required. This arrangement not only increases our breeding capacity but also has the potential to reduce shipping costs due to the reduced number of boxes required for younger animals.

This adjustment will apply to all new orders placed from Friday evening (26 July) onward. Existing orders will be fulfilled according to the originally specified ages. We will reassess this arrangement as we transition into our new facility later this year. We appreciate your understanding and support while we aim to make the most of our limited temporary space.

Animal tiers

Thank you for your valuable feedback on our proposed animal tiers. We have made changes based on your input and the increased demand for certain strains. Below is an updated breakdown of tiers.

Implementation schedule:

• Tier 3: Implementation on Friday evening (26 July). The portal will include a link to a form where you can submit your breeding requirements.
• Tier 2: Implementation will follow in the coming weeks. The exact date will be communicated in upcoming newsletters.
• Tier 1: Four strains (A/J, CBA/CaH, NOD.SCID, SHR) have been added due to increased demand. Pre-allocation will be activated as soon as the animal supply stabilises.

Alopecia check for BALB/c & NSG

Some strains, specifically BALB/c and NSG, are prone to minor alopecia. While this usually does not pose issues for research, there are instances where, for example, missing whiskers can make an animal unsuitable for specific studies. To address this, we have introduced an alopecia check on our ordering portal, available only for these two selected strains. If alopecia is a concern for your research, please select this additional service when placing your order.