Investigators are often disappointed when a gene is knocked out and animals have “no phenotype”, but genetic modelers often remind them that animals may not have been appropriately challenged to reveal a phenotype and function of the gene of interest. While laudable that Dr. Guaio tried to make use of existing animals being culled by Dr. Virale, the use of “excess” genetically modified animals in unrelated experiments is not recommended, nor is it allowed at our institution without prior approval. Minimally, a pilot study would be required to demonstrate that the transgenic (TG) animals are indeed behaving as wild-type animals and appropriate to include before expanding to the larger experiment.
IACUC forms ask several questions to determine the nature of animals to be used in experiments including the source (vendors, established colonies, external collaborators, etc.) as well as species and strain/substrain, and whether any have been genetically modified. Transfer of animals from one investigator to another requires approval by IACUC, and transport by animal care staff once an appropriate form has been completed to document the transfer. This is especially important when managing animal rooms that may have different pathogen status. Transfer without consent of IACUC would be viewed as noncompliance by both investigators and their staff participating in the transfer, with the committee subsequently determining appropriate corrective actions for all involved. We would not view the unexpected outcome as noncompliance with policies requiring the reporting of adverse events as the TG animals did not develop the anemic phenotype and presumably were otherwise healthy.
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