Ohio State University, which came under fire recently over HIV research involving felines, recently announced that it plans a major expansion of its animal testing facilities.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that OSU will undertake a $30 million expansion of its animal testing facilities at Weiseman Hall that will add 35,000 square feet of lab space. The money will be raised through a combination of money from the Ohio legislature and bonds issued by OSU.
OSU’s William Yonushonis told the Dispatch,
It will be a rodent facility, primarily for mice. We’re looking at housing up to 35,000 cages. You can put up to five mice a cage.
This would add to the approximately 75,000 animals that the Dispatch reports are already used annually for research at OSU. Ninety-two percent of such animals are mice and rats.
Ohio-based animal rights group Protect Our Earth’s Treasures criticized the expansion. POET director Rob Russell told the Columbus Dispatch,
There’s a whole bunch of projects that we feel could be stopped today, and we feel it wouldn’t have any negative impact on humans.
OSU is also planning to build a new biosafety level 3 laboratory to study infectious diseases which will house laboratory animals.
Source:
New labs for mice planned at OSU. Alice Thomas, The Columbus Dispatch, July 5, 2003.
Background On Proposed BSL3 Laboratory Planned for Ohio State University’s West Campus. Press Release, Ohio State University, July 26, 2003.