Multi-phase animal facilities: Lessons learned, enhancements, and caveats

Large-scale mouse facilities built in phases over time can be a double-edged sword: Each subsequent phase allows for iterative improvements incorporating technology advancements, evolving best practices, and lessons learned, but at the risk of study disruptions, infrastructure complexity, and consistency of maintenance and operational models. Session leaders illustrate how phased construction has played out for The Jackson Laboratory’s four-phased barrier facility in Ellsworth, Maine. They set out top planning and design considerations for process areas and MEP system expansion, strategies for maintaining consistency of products and systems, and solutions for mitigating the effects of noise. They relate feedback from facility operators which contributed to design refinements in each phase.