National Experimental Biology Laboratory

Animal housing

• 24/7 secure access 
• 74 animal housing rooms 
• Regular and specialized housing of animals ranging from rodents to non-human primates (including quarantine if necessary) 
• Housing and living expenses (per day) including basic care, food and water, cage cleaning, clinical monitoring, and personal protective equipment 
• One-off and annual rental of housing rooms (per day), including basic care, cage cleaning, and clinical monitoring 

Equipment

Available for rent:  

• On-site laboratories and equipment (CL1 and CL2) 
• Surgical suite and two necropsy rooms (daily rate) 
• Cages for rodents, rabbits, dogs, or primates for external customers 

Services

• Animal experiments (goats, dogs, guinea pigs, turkeys, ferrets, frogs, hamsters, rabbits, sheep, shrews, pigs, chickens, chicks, rats, monkeys, mice) 
• Animal handling training available to users 
• Training on rodent colony management 
• Animal purchasing service (permits and logistics) 
• Support for preclinical studies 
• Technical assistance for the development of animal models other than rodents 
• HPV decontamination 
• Decontamination and sterilization (high capacity) 
• Surgical suite rental (daily rate) 
• Short- and long-term cage rental (monkeys, ferrets, guinea pigs, rabbits) 
• Cage cleaning (high capacity) 
• Colony maintenance and management for various animals 
• Veterinary quarantine service for all animal species 
• On-site veterinarians 
• Technical support for the development of large-animal, small-animal, and livestock models 
• Animal species 
  • Large animals: pigs, mini-pigs, dogs, sheep, ferrets, guinea pigs, hens, chicks 
  • Rodents: mice (including transgenic, nude, and SCID), rats (including transgenic, nude, and SCID), hamsters 
  • Zebrafish 
  • Non-human primates: cynomolgus macaques, rhesus macaques, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys 
  • Other species: goats, turkeys, ferrets, rabbits, fish, chickens, chicks, cotton rats

The NEBL provides some in-vitro services in collaboration with external partners. The experienced team is able to support clients in their projects, from the design of exploratory study protocols to the completion of preclinical studies. 

The NEBL team includes veterinary technicians and scientists with expertise in many aspects of the biological sciences. The team has developed numerous animal models for efficacy and early development studies. It serves both academic and industrial clients. 

Data analysis 

• Assorted statistical analyses 

 Dermatology 

• Wound healing models 

 Drug development 

• In-vivo pharmacokinetics 
• Dietary exposure and intake assessments 

 Immunology and infectious diseases 

• Bacterial infection models 
• Viral infection models (e.g., influenza) 
• Vaccines 
• Immunology 
• Antibody production 

 Disease models 

• Streptozotocin diabetic model (rats or mice) 
• Acute liver disease models 
• Infectious disease models (bacterial and viral) 
• Acute LPS response models 

 Agriculture and livestock solutions 

• Feed supplements and animal nutrition studies 
• Food consumption patterns 
• Milk and dairy nutrition 

 Other 

• Tissues and fluids of various species 
• Specialized dosing routes (e.g., intravenous infusion, intranasal) 

The NEBL is the only Canadian university research facility to be accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), demonstrating compliance with the internationally recognized standards of the National Research Council’s Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.

Furthermore, it has a mandatory Good Animal Practice accreditation from the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), which has particularly stringent requirements. INRS has also developed an Animal Experimentation Ethics Policy (available in French only). All research protocols in use at the NEBL must therefore be reviewed and approved for compliance with the rules established by the Institutional Animal Care Committee (Comité institutionnel de protection des animaux – CIPA).

Why use animal models in research?

Biomedical research involves multiple steps before a drug or vaccine is brought to market. To evaluate the biological response induced by the drug or vaccine, experimental research very often requires the use of animal models. Given the multitude of physiological interactions involved, in vitro cellular approaches are not yet able to recreate an environment as complex as that of a human or animal body for the study of immune responses to a vaccine or drug.

Animal protection

The INRS Institutional Animal Care Committee (CIPA) is composed of researchers, students, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and members of the public who meet once a month. One of CIPA’s mandates is to ensure that animal experimentation complies with CCAC guidelines and that the staff and students performing the experimentation are adequately trained and follow the procedures and animal care best practices.

Use of large animals

Large animals are used for research only when absolutely necessary. They represent only a tiny fraction of the animals used in research (less than 0.5% at INRS). Because they are intelligent and social, large animals are paired and we avoid housing them alone. Great apes (like chimpanzees and baboons) are not used in research at INRS.

The Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) provides national oversight of animal-based science in Canada. Every organization that conducts animal research must have an animal care committee. 

The INRS Institutional Animal Care Committee (CIPA) is composed of researchers, students, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and members of the public who meet once a month. One of the CIPA’s mandates is to ensure that animal experimentation complies with CCAC guidelines and that the staff and student members performing the experiments are adequately trained and follow the procedures and animal care best practices. 

INRS subscribes to the principles of the 3Rs for ethical decision-making in the use of animals in research: wherever possible, we replace, reduce, and refine.  

• Animal replacement in research (avoiding or replacing the use of animals) 
• Reduction in the number of animals used 
• Refinement of our methods to improve animal comfort  

How does INRS contribute to animal research? 

The preclinical studies carried out by the NEBL team are the second fundamental step in the manufacture of a drug. They allow scientists to understand the drug’s mechanism of action and test its efficacy and toxicity on animals before it is administered to humans, so they can predict its impact on humans as accurately as possible. 

Why use animals in research? 

Biomedical research involves multiple steps before a drug or vaccine is brought to market. To evaluate the biological response induced by the drug or vaccine, experimental research very often requires the use of animal models. Given the multitude of physiological interactions involved, in-vitro cellular approaches are not yet able to recreate an environment as complex as that of a human or animal body for the study of immune responses to a vaccine or drug.

INRS subscribes to the principles of the 3Rs for ethical decision-making in the use of animals in research: wherever possible, we replace, reduce, and refine.  

• Animal replacement in research (avoiding or replacing the use of animals) 
• Reduction in the number of animals used 
• Refinement of our methods to improve animal comfort  

Where do the animals come from? 

The animals can come from a variety of recognized sources. The animal care committee requires that the provenance of the animals be specified in the protocols and approved by INRS. INRS does not purchase animals from shelters, including the SPCA.  

What types of animals are used at INRS? 

Most of the animals used at INRS are rodents and fish. However, other types of animals may be used depending on the research being carried out. Large animals are used only when absolutely necessary, and represent only a tiny fraction of the animals used in research.  

How are the animals housed? 

Animal housing facilities must meet strict requirements. INRS adheres to the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), which inspects its facilities regularly, at most every three years. These guidelines contain numerous specifications, including space requirements, ventilation, lighting, and cleanliness. CCAC requires independent oversight of these facilities in the form of a facility audit. 

What happens to the animals after a research study is over? 

Depending on the study, the animals may be humanely euthanized or adopted out until the end of their natural life. Most of the animals used at INRS are rodents and fish. The majority are humanely euthanized at the end of a research study. Otherwise, the animals are examined by a veterinarian before being adopted out to a suitable home.

How are the animals euthanized? 

INRS complies with the humane euthanasia methods required by the Canadian Council on Animal Care. Typically, the animal is sedated or anaesthetized, then given a lethal dose of anaesthetic. This is completely painless for the animal.  

How many animals are housed at INRS? 

The number of animals housed at INRS varies greatly depending on the client and the research in progress.  

What are the steps involved in getting an animal-based study approved? 

The study must have scientific merit, i.e., it must be demonstrated to have a scientific purpose. Next, the protocol must be approved by INRS’s Institutional Animal Care Committee (CIPA), which confirms that all steps have been taken to protect the animals.