Inside our BioCORE facility

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute BioCORE Facility

Our BioCORE facility supports the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute’s advancements in heart research and discoveries through the provision of high-standard laboratory animals, facilities, services and compassionate animal care.

The BioCORE is the core laboratory animal care and support resource for our scientists. Our BioCORE team delivers animal husbandry and breeding on both a routine and customized basis. The team also conducts health surveillance programs, provides supportive animal care, and administers animal facility access induction and training. Our dedicated animal care team is highly trained across our various laboratory animal species and facilities operations.

Inside our Rodent Facility

What does a rodent facility look like?

The BioCORE rodent facility houses various strains of mice and rats that are valuable to research. Our rodents are housed in individually-ventilated caging systems which promote optimum airflow and contain environmental enrichment and bedding. This encourages natural behaviour such as nest building, burrowing, exploring and gnawing, which are essential to animal well-being.

Our rodent facility operates as a barrier facility that incorporates facility design together with a systematic, comprehensive program for the prevention of entry of rodent infectious diseases.

Our animal care team and researchers work together in caring for and monitoring the health of animals.

Ensuring the health of our valuable rodents eliminates any interference in research results.

How do rodents contribute to heart research?

As mammals, both mice and rats are very similar biologically to humans, and they are affected by many of the same diseases or conditions. Humans also share high genetic similarities with rodents. This means that a particular gene is highly likely to exist in both mice and humans and will usually have a similar function. We develop similarly because we have the same body organs (heart, lungs, brain, kidneys, and more).

Mice can be genetically modified to mimic virtually any human disease or condition. As small mammals, rodents have a limited lifespan, such that one mouse year equals about 30 human years. Thus, the entire life cycle can be studied in only two years. This allows our scientists to understand how the body grows, chronic diseases progress, and the ageing process.

Rodents reproduce quickly, are relatively easy to handle and transport, and can be bred to produce uniform animals which allow for accurate and repeatable studies.