NHGRI offers award-winning CD on laboratory mouse care

Scientific professionals searching for clear, authoritative training on laboratory mouse care are in luck: NHGRI still has several hundred free copies of its award-winning CD-ROM, Training in Basic Biomethodology for Laboratory Mice available for distribution.

The new CD, which was developed by NHGRI's Office of Laboratory Animal Medicine (OLAM) to train researchers working with mice in their experiments, covers topics such as restraint and handling, identification methods, genotyping, injections and blood collection. Already associated with a 2005 NIH Director's Award, the CD recently earned an honorable mention in the 2005 NIH Plain Language Awards, which recognize communication products that are exceptional for their clarity and audience focus.

The CD was co-authored by OLAM Director Shelley Hoogstraten-Miller, D.V.M., and NHGRI's Animal Resources Program Coordinator Wendy Burns, and was illustrated by Darryl Leja, Director of NHGRI's Intramural Publications Support Office.

To date, nearly 2,500 copies of the CD have been distributed to researchers in 48 states and 52 nations. In addition, the CD is featured in the training sections of Web sites at a wide range of academic research institutions and professional organizations involved in laboratory animal care.

The mouse care CD is actually the second in a series. The first, Training in Survival Rodent Surgery, was a joint effort between NHGRI's OLAM and NIH's Office of Animal Care and Use. That CD also received wide praise, and 5,000 copies have been distributed. Currently, Dr. Hoogstraten-Miller and her colleagues are exploring the possibility of producing a third CD focused on the care of laboratory rats.

To request a copy of Training in Basic Biomethodology for Laboratory Mice, please e-mail your name, the name of your research institution, your full mailing address and e-mail address to rodent-cd@mail.nih.gov. The CD may be copied at will, and its creators encourage recipients to make copies to ensure as wide a distribution as possible.

Last Reviewed: February 28, 2012