April 4, 2023 is World Rat Day!  The RRRC would like to acknowledge the important contributions to science and medicine made possible by the use of rats in biomedical research.

The RRRC is looking to expand its team!  We have positions available in colony management, data curation, cryobiology, reproductive biology, and customer service.  We are also looking for individuals interested in post-doctoral training with both a service and research emphasis.  Interested in learning more?  Contact Dr. Elizabeth Bryda at rrrc@missouri.edu.

Enhance Rigor and Reproducibility in Animal Research by Managing Extrinsic Factors

When: September 23, 28, and 30, 2022

Venue: Zoom

Register: scgcorp.com/ExtrinsicFactorsWS

The workshop will be a forum to discuss the current status of and needs for understanding extrinsic environmental factors; their potential impact on animal research outcomes; and how facilities may optimally manage, monitor, and report these extrinsic factors in an effort to enhance reproducibility and rigor in animal research. The focus of this workshop will be on identifying gaps, opportunities, and new approaches in husbandry of commonly and widely used animal models; relevant environmental factors and conditions; and the need for novel instruments, equipment, and infrastructure for animal research core facilities (e.g., modern design of research core facilities, high-throughput equipment, telemetry for behavioral research).

Rats on the rise.  Ellen P. Neff (Lab Animal, 2021). After a genetic revolution in the 80s, mice overtook rats as the laboratory animal of choice for many researchers. But in recent years, the gene editing capabilities that had lagged a little for the larger rodent have been coming up to par with their murine cousins. Is a return to rats on the way?

The RRRC is fully operational at this time and we are excited to be able to assist researchers with all their rat-related needs. 

The faculty and staff of the Rat Genome Database are deeply grieved to announce the recent passing of Dr. Mary Shimoyama, principal investigator of RGD.