Presentation
Animal Facility of the Sols-Morreale Institute for Biomedical Research (IIBM)
The Animal Facility of the Sols-Morreale Institute for Biomedical Research (IIBM), located in the basement of the center, is dedicated to the breeding, maintenance, monitoring, and provision of animals used for experimental procedures, within the framework of the authorized PROEX for each research group.
Currently, the species housed are rats and mice.
The facilities were renovated in 1997, and in 2008, an expansion project was carried out that doubled the housing capacity of the service. The construction work followed the guidelines of European Directive 86/609/EEC and Spanish Royal Decree 223/1988, dated March 14 (BOE), prioritizing both worker safety and animal welfare. The total surface area of the animal facility is 1,000 m².
Since 2001, the facility has been registered with the Official Register of Breeding and User Establishments for Laboratory Animals of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, under registration number ES280790000188. Since 2025, the facility’s activities have expanded to include the provision of animals to other research centers as part of scientific collaboration.
Regulations
Compliance with animal welfare and experimentation regulations adheres to European Directive 2010/63/EU, which governs the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. This directive was incorporated into Spanish law through Royal Decree 53/2013, establishing the basic requirements for the responsible use of animals in research and education. Later, Order ECC/566/2015 expanded this regulation by defining training programs and activities required to maintain the qualifications of involved personnel.
In this context, the IIBM has implemented continuous training programs to ensure that all staff involved in animal experimentation possess appropriate technical and ethical training. In addition, new staff members are specifically monitored to ensure proper handling training.
As part of its commitment to ethical practices and current legislation, the IIBM actively promotes the application of the 3Rs principle (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), encouraging the use of alternative methods whenever possible, minimizing the number of animals used, and optimizing experimental procedures to reduce animal suffering as much as possible.
Housing Conditions
Environmental conditions in the animal facility are tightly controlled, with temperatures maintained at 20–22 ºC, relative humidity at 45–55%, and a 12-hour light/dark cycle. All rooms are equipped with forced ventilation, ensuring a minimum of 20 air changes per hour.
All materials used in the animal facility are sterilized via steam autoclave or with chemical disinfectants (such as peroxide), guaranteeing optimal cleanliness and hygiene for the animals. Feed is purchased irradiated, and water is sterilized by autoclave. Both are provided ad libitum.
The bedding used in cages is made of poplar wood shavings, offering suitable comfort, hygiene, and moisture control. All cages include environmental enrichment systems adapted to the specific needs of the animals.
Certified personnel perform daily inspections of all cages to detect any anomalies or signs of distress that could compromise animal welfare. Upon the appearance of signs of stress, pain, or discomfort, the Animal Welfare Officer and/or the designated veterinarian will assess the situation and take appropriate corrective measures, including humane euthanasia when necessary.
Mouse Breeding and Housing Areas
The IIBM animal facility includes a Barrier Zone and a Conventional Zone, where various mouse lines used by the institute’s research groups are housed. Both areas are restricted to authorized personnel only.
In the Barrier and Immunodeficient Zone, personnel must wear sterile overalls, shoe covers, gloves, caps, and face masks. Mice are housed in filter-top cages and handled under sterile conditions to maintain SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) status. All animals entering this zone undergo embryo rederivation or come from commercial suppliers with SOPF (Specific Opportunist Pathogen Free) status. Immunodeficient animals are also SPF and are housed in ventilated racks.
In the Conventional Zone, access requires disposable gowns, gloves, caps, shoe covers, and masks. Animals are housed in ventilated racks and handled in laminar flow hoods. All animals from outside the IIBM must undergo a quarantine period (quarantine area), during which a full health screening (FELASA profile) is conducted to ensure their health status before being housed. Within the Conventional Zone, there is an experimental area for the temporary housing of animals during experimental procedures. Users can access this room to carry out minor procedures such as treatments, dietary administration, and weight monitoring.
Outside the Conventional Zone, there is an external animal room, designated for animals that have temporarily left for experimental procedures in external facilities or IIBM services such as MRI-PET, ENNI, Phenomaster, and Irradiation.
Rat Breeding and Housing Areas
The rat room houses animals used by various research groups. Access is restricted to animal facility personnel and authorized users. Rats are kept in filter-top cages and handled in accordance with the same biosecurity and welfare standards.
Work Areas
The animal facility includes several workrooms where users can perform experimental procedures approved as part of their research projects. To enter, users must wear disposable gowns, shoe covers, caps, masks, and gloves.
- Immunodeficient Mouse Room: Adjacent to the immunodeficient animal housing room, this area is exclusively for the handling of animals housed there. All materials in this room are for exclusive use and must be rigorously disinfected before and after each use.
- Operating Rooms: Two operating rooms are available—one in the conventional area and one in the external area—equipped for complex procedures such as anesthesia, surgery, stereotaxic procedures, perfusion, and any interventions approved in the relevant PROEX.
- Behavioral Testing Rooms: Similar to the operating rooms, there are two behavioral testing areas—one in the conventional area and one in the external area. These are used to carry out behavioral tests under suitable conditions for accurate evaluation of the parameters analyzed.
Animal Facility Staff
The facility director is a licensed veterinarian (registration no. 6344), accredited under Royal Decree 53/2013 for functions b, c, d, e, and f. Their responsibilities include facility management, scientific and technical advising to research staff, and acting as the Animal Welfare and Health Officer. The director is also a member of the Animal Facility Committee, the Biosecurity Committee, and serves as secretary of the center’s Animal Ethics and Welfare Committee (CEEHA).
The technical staff are responsible for the management and control of animal colonies, as well as providing technical support to researchers. They are qualified for at least functions b and c and have specialized training.
Animal caretakers handle cleaning and maintenance of animals and facilities. They are qualified for at least function a.
LOCATION
Buildings I and II, basement level.
CONTACT
- Service Manager: Laura Notario
- Email: lnotario＠iib.uam.es
- Phone: +34 91 585 4403
- Animal Facility Phone: +34 91 585 4473
HOURS
7:00 AM to 19:00 PM, Monday to Friday.
Access outside of these hours requires prior authorization from the service manager.