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Principal investigators and all research personnel and staff who have contact with live animals for the purpose of research, testing, and/or teaching will be required to participate in the Certification Program prior to gaining access to the vivarium and/or initiating contact with animals.

The use of animals in research and instruction generally occurs in one of two contexts: the animals serve as model systems for the investigation of phenomena and processes which cannot be studied directly, or the animals are being studied to investigate a problem specific to the particular species. Most biomedical research falls into the first category. Examples of the latter include field studies of behavioral and ecological adaptations of animal species, studies of taxonomic relationships among species, or captive studies of physiological or behavioral processes which form an important part of the adaptations of one or more species.

Genetic factors are important in model selection in several respects. The species selected should have a well known background, since some species may develop naturally occurring genetic diseases or conditions which can provide useful spontaneous models. In research areas where no spontaneous animal model has been identified, extensive knowledge of a species’ genetic properties is essential to selection of a likely candidate for an induced model.

Knowledge of the normal nutrient requirements of a species is an important factor in selection of an appropriate model. Potential effects of diet on experimental variables can be evaluated for common laboratory species whose nutrient requirements are well known but this may not be possible for rarely used, or seldom studied, species whose normal diet may be unknown.

The normal behavioral patterns of a species can be important to model choice, whether or not the researcher is interested in the animal’s behavior per se. The normal social organization of a species affects such variables as how animals must be housed or fed and under what circumstances they will reproduce successfully. Social and individual behavioral characteristics may influence research variables in both obvious and subtle ways.

Aspects of life history patterns which may influence species choice include developmental rate, age at first reproduction, frequency and timing of reproduction, gestation length, litter size and life span.

An animal model is a living organism in which normal biological processes can be studied, or in which a spontaneous or induced pathological process can be investigated. To be effective, the process being modeled should closely resemble the analogous process in human beings or some other species in one or more ways.

Selection of an appropriate model must be based on extensive familiarity with the problem or system to be studied, so that the researcher can determine the range of biological responses necessary to the experimental design. Once this familiarity is developed, either by extensive review of the published literature or from pilot studies, the researcher can proceed to select an appropriate model, whether a whole animal, animal-derived material or a non-animal model.

UCLA is continuously working to maintain full accreditation of its animal care and use program by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC). AAALAC is a non-profit organization established by scientific and educational organizations to ensure high standards of laboratory animal care and use.

Laboratory hazards may occur naturally, or may be induced accidentally or experimentally. Hazards include those causing physical injuries, such as bites, scratches, cuts, abrasions, etc. to personnel; those causing injuries to laboratory animals; those causing disease in personnel; those causing disease in animals; and those causing damage to equipment and facilities. Principal Investigators or Instructors are responsible for the activities of their staff and for the conditions in the rooms within their jurisdiction.