Syllabus for the “Course of Laboratory Animal Science”

1.     Basic information of the course

2.     Course introduction

Laboratory animals are becoming increasingly important for biomedical research. Laboratory animal science provides comprehensive information on the principles and practices of using laboratory animals for biomedical research. Each individual course focuses on a key sub-discipline of laboratory animal science: the quality control of laboratory animals; the biological features of each laboratory animal; the principles of creating and using animal models for studying human diseases; practical techniques used for laboratory animal experiments; various animal models of human diseases; and animal experimentation management. Through theoretical lectures and experimental course, students will understand the knowledge of laboratory animal science, which will be benefit for student to apply the knowledge and skills for related research and management.

Teaching method: theory teaching (multimedia + video); Experiment of animals

Teaching time: Term 7

3.     Course content and allocation of class hours

Theory course

Chapter 1 Introduction to laboratory animal science

1. Teaching contents:

Section 1: Definition of laboratory animal science

Section 2: Definition of laboratory animal

Section 3: The contribution of laboratory animals to medical progress-past, present, and future

Section 4: an overview of global legislation, regulation, and policies of laboratory animal

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Master the concept of laboratory animal science

2. Master the characteristics of experimental animals and the significance in biomedical research

Familiar:

1. History of laboratory animal science, its branch disciplines and applications

2. General and current situation of experimental animal science

3. Global legislation, regulation, and policies of laboratory animal

3. Difficult points

1. Global legislation, regulation, and policies of laboratory animal

4. Teaching methods:

Theory teaching with multimedia

Chapter 2 Laboratory animal genetic and genetic quality control

1. Teaching contents:

Section 1: Genetic classification of laboratory animals

Section 2: Inbred strain

Section 3: Coisogenic inbred strain and congenic inbred strain

Section 4: Recombinant inbred strain and recombinant congenic strain

Section 5: Hybrid strain

Section 6: Laboratory animal genetic and genetic quality control

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Genetic classification of laboratory animals

2. The concept of inbred strain, hybrid strain, coisogenic inbred strain, congenic inbred strain, recombinant inbred strain and recombinant congenic strain

3. Characteristics of inbred animals

Familiar:

1. Nomenclature of inbred animals, and the concept of lineages

2. Laboratory animal genetic quality control

3. Difficult points

1. Genetic classification of laboratory animals

2. Laboratory animal genetic quality control

4. Teaching methods:

 Theory teaching with multimedia

Chapter 3 Biological characteristics of laboratory animal

1. Teaching Contents

Section 1: Rodent laboratory animal

Section 2: Other Laboratory animal

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Classification of laboratory animals

2. Characteristics of biology, physiology, anatomy of rat, mice, guinea pig and rabbit, and their application

Familiar:

1. Characteristics of biology, physiology, anatomy of hamster, dog, pig and monkey, and their application

2. Breeding management, strain and application

3.Difficult points

Characteristics of biology, physiology, anatomy of rat, mice, guinea pig and rabbit, and their application

4.Teaching Methods

Theory teaching with multimedia

Chapter 4 Microbiology and parasitology of laboratory animal

1. teaching content:

Section 1: classification of experimental animal

Section 2: Conventional animals

Section 3: Clean animals and specific pathogen free animals

Section 4: Germ free animals and gnotobiotes animals

Section 5: Microbes & parasites monitoring and control

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Basic concept of conventional animals, clean animals, specific pathogen free animals and germ free animals

2. Microbial and parasitic control standards and quality monitoring of different grades of experimental animals

Familiar:

1. The pathogen and its source of infection, the route of transmission, the susceptible person and the clinical symptoms

3. Teaching difficulties

1. Microbial and parasitic control standards and quality monitoring of different grades of experimental animals

4. Teaching methods:

Theory teaching with multimedia

Chapter 5 Animal facility environmental control and monitoring

1. Teaching content:

Section 1: Laboratory animal environment

Section 2: Physical and chemical parameter

Section 3: Biological factor

Section 4: laboratory animal facility and management

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Conception of experimental animal environment, facilities, sub-barrier system, barrier system, isolation system, etc

2. Environmental factors affecting experimental animals and control requirements

Familiar:

1. Feeding density of experimental animals

2. Laboratory facilities and environmental management of conventional animal and specific animal

3. Difficult points

1. Environmental factors affecting experimental animals and control requirements

4. Teaching methods:

Theory teaching with multimedia+ video

Chapter 6 Animal Models for human diseases, immunodeficiency animals, transgenic animals

1.Teaching Contents：

Section 1: Overview

Section 2: Animal Models for human diseases

Section 3: Immunodeficiency animals and transgenic animals

2. Objective requirements:

Master：

1. Conception of animal models for human diseases, immunodeficiency animals and transgenic animals

2. The significance of animal models

Familiar:

1. Application of animal models for human diseases, immunodeficiency animals and transgenic animals

2. The construction of animal models for human diseases, immunodeficiency animals and transgenic animals

3. Difficult points

The construction of animal models for human diseases, immunodeficiency animals and transgenic animals

4. Teaching Methods

Theory teaching with multimedia Literature reading

Chapter 7 Animal experiment design and optimization

1. Teaching content:

Section 1: Laboratory animal selection

Section 2: Animal experiment design and optimization

Section 3: Biological factor for animal experiment

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Conception of Laboratory animal selection

2. Biological factor for animal experiment

Familiar:

1. Rules for laboratory animal selection

2. Rules for design animal experiment

3. Difficult points

1. Biological factors affecting experimental animals

4. Teaching methods:

Theory teaching with multimedia+ video

Practice course

Chapter 1 Mice

1. Teaching content:

Section 1: Grouping and labeling

Section 2: Physical examination, necropsy, organ measurement and weighing

Section 3: Grab & fixation, gender identification, inoculation technique

Section 4: Blood collection methods and anesthetic technique

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Grouping and labeling

2. Grab & fixation, inoculation technique and blood collection methods

Familiar:

Gender identification and anesthetic technique

3. Difficult points

Blood collection methods

4. Teaching methods:

Practice

Chapter 2 Rat

1. Teaching content:

Section 1: Grouping and labeling

Section 2: Physical examination, necropsy, organ measurement and weighing

Section 3: Grab & fixation, gender identification, inoculation technique

Section 4: Blood collection methods and anesthetic technique

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Grouping and labeling

2. Grab & fixation, inoculation technique and blood collection methods

Familiar:

Gender identification and anesthetic technique

3. Difficult points

Blood collection methods

4. Teaching methods:

Practice

Chapter 3 Guinea pig and rabbit

1. Teaching content:

Section 1: Grouping and labeling

Section 2: Physical examination, necropsy, organ measurement and weighing

Section 3: Grab & fixation, gender identification, inoculation technique

Section 4: Blood collection methods and anesthetic technique

2. Objective requirements:

Master:

1. Grouping and labeling

2. Grab & fixation, inoculation technique and blood collection methods

Familiar:

Gender identification and anesthetic technique

3. Difficult points

Blood collection methods

4. Teaching methods:

Practice

4.     Assessment method

This course takes attendance and submission of course papers as an assessment method. Usually attendance accounts for 20%, theory test account for 40% and test of the experiment operation account for 40%.

5.     Text book and reference books

Text book:

Hongbin Tang, Edited. Laboratory Animal Science (3nd edition), Hubei People's Publishing House, 2016.