The breeding colony is consisted of descendants of cynomolgus monkeys, which were introduced at the time of establishment in 1978. The breeding of them is carried out by pairing a female during the estimated ovulation period with a male. Newborns, their gestation period is approximately 165 days, are raised under nursing by mother or artificial nursing. The health status of all monkeys was monitored daily, including viability, appetite, fur coat appearance, excreta, and menstrual blood. Furthermore, they underwent regular physical examination as follows: check on hair coat and build, weight measurement, auscultation, whole body palpation, dental examination, microbiologic monitoring, hematology and serum chemistry. By digitizing these data, all monkeys are managed.
The Medical Science Experimental Facility is a facility for conducting experiments with non-infectious agents, such as gene therapies, higher brain nervous functions, and longevity science. The animal experiment/housing area of the facility is equipped with a variety of devices required for conducting medical science experiments, such as an fMRI device, an X-ray room, a diagnostic ultrasound imaging system, necropsy tables, and an operating room. Cells, DNA samples, and reagents can be prepared in the attached laboratories for administration into monkeys.
The Infectious Disease Experimental Facility is a BSL2 and BSL3 level biosafety facility corresponding to experimental infections with influenza virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, HIV, prions and other patho- genic organisms. The facility is equipped with negative pressure isolator cages for individual housing of monkeys, face-to-face type necropsy tables, suit-type protective clothing for infection measures, chemical solution shower rooms, superhigh airtight doors, etc. The air is ventilated through high-performance HEPA filters, and wastes and discharges are disposed off after sterilization at 136°C. Thus, the Infectious Disease Experimental Facility is operated as a thoroughgoing biosafety facility to prevent exposure and leakage of infectious agents to investigators and to the outside environment.
