The Comparative Medicine and Bioimage Centre of Catalonia (CMCiB) of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) continues to strengthen its capacity to support biomedical research with the opening of a new rodent housing facility and the upgrading of part of its animal housing systems. This initiative increases the centre's capacity to support researchers, strengthens safety and biocontainment, improves animal welfare and provides more efficient working environments for health research projects.

The works, which began in July this year, have been made possible by reconverting an existing area previously intended for zebrafish research. The recovery and adaptation of this space has enabled the creation of a new rodent housing area with an associated laboratory, taking advantage of the available resources and generating new capacities at the service of the research community. The new facility facilitates the development of research projects in areas such as oncology, immunology or infectious diseases. In addition, its location adjacent to the experimental spaces of the conventional area optimizes workflows, reduces movement, and fosters greater integration between animal housing and research activities.

With this initiative, the CMCiB significantly increases its overall housing capacity and can accommodate up to 12,000 mice distributed across its three specialised housing areas: Conventional, Biocontainment, and Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3). This diversity of spaces allows housing and experimental conditions to be tailored to the specific requirements of each project, in accordance with the applicable standards for quality, biosafety and animal welfare. "This expansion allows us to grow sustainably, providing researchers with new spaces and technologies to enhance our capacity to support research. At the same time, we have taken the opportunity to modernise equipment and continue to make progress in key areas such as biosafety, animal welfare and process efficiency," explains Rosa Ampudia, Head of the Biocontainment and Conventional areas at CMCiB.

In parallel, the project has enabled the technological upgrading of the animal housing systems used in the conventional and BSL-3 areas. The introduction of a new generation of individually ventilated cages and associated equipment enhances the protection of both people and animals, while strengthening the facility's biocontainment and biosafety measures. These new cages are designed to improve animal welfare, provide appropriate environmental conditions and facilitate the observation and monitoring of animals by technical and veterinary teams.

This initiative also demonstrates CMCiB's ability to adapt its infrastructure to evolving scientific needs while ensuring the continuity of the centre's operations. Salvador Pérez, Head of Infrastructure at CMCiB, explains that "one of the most important aspects of this project is that all the work has been planned and carried out while maintaining the centre's full operations. The construction work, adaptations to the facilities and installation of new equipment have been completed without interrupting ongoing research projects and while minimising any impact on the animals. The role of the Infrastructure team is precisely to ensure that research can continue to progress as the facilities evolve and adapt to new scientific needs".

With this expansion, the recovery of underutilised spaces and the technological renewal of the accommodation systems, the CMCiB reinforces its capacity as a scientific support infrastructure for biomedical and translational research.