Improvement of Vivarium Biodecontamination through Data-acquisition Systems and Automation.

Biodecontamination is important for eliminating pathogens at research animal facilities, thereby preventing contamination within barrier systems. We enhanced our facility's standard biodecontamination method to replace the traditional foggers, and the new system was used effectively after creating bypass ducts in HVAC units so that individual rooms could be isolated. The entire system was controlled by inhouse-developed supervisory control and data-acquisition software that supported multiple cycles of decontamination by equipment, which had different decontamination capacities, operated in parallel, and used different agents, including H2O2 vapor and ClO2 gas.

Genotoxicity guidelines recommended by International Conference of Harmonization (ICH).

Genotoxicity tests are designed to detect the genetic damage by various mechanisms. Several guidelines have provided various tests to be conducted for testing the genotoxicity and each of the regulatory agencies around the world have developed their own requirements for mutagenicity, without realizing that the products developed or registered in one country are also going to be registered and marketed around the world. The ICH guideline of genotoxicity helps to optimize the standard battery for genetic toxicology and to provide guidance on interpretation of results.