GLOSSARY OF BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH TERMS

ALAT/LAT/LATG = The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science certifies laboratory animal employees, primarily caregivers and veterinary technicians. The employees are certified by passing a multiple-choice test. There are 3 levels of certification: Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT), Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT), and Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG).

BIOCONTAINMENT = The means by which biohazardous substances are safely sequestered. Biosafety Levels (BSL) employ a variety of means of biocontainment: BSL-0 is the containment level at which we all live; BSL-1 is the level at which most laboratory primates are contained. BSL-1 is appropriate for the containment of microorganisms, which do not cause disease in humans; workers wear some protective gear and regularly disinfect rooms and cages. BSL-2 requires more precautions: workers wear more protective gear, possibly including a face shield, sterile outer-garments, and HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters clean the air coming in and out of the building; BSL-2 houses nonhuman primates with infectious diseases like HIV or Hepatitis. BSL-3 and -4 house subjects infected with agents that are known to be transmitted by inhalation and are lethal to humans; physical containment requirements are very strict and include waterproof walls and ceilings (precluding the use of acoustic tiles) and controlled directional air-flow.

BOXING = When non-human primates are removed from their home cage, they are often "boxed", i.e. moved into a portable container for transport. A monkey transfer box is generally about 1.5x2x3 feet in dimension; an ape box is much larger. Both are built to fit to the front of a cage. Some individuals are trained to enter the box voluntarily; others are forced into the box with squeeze mechanisms.

BREEDER = Usually refers to a female with a solid history of producing healthy offspring. A 'breeder' may not be used for invasive research.

CAGE WASHER = Sort of like a mini-car-wash for laboratory animal cages. Racks of dirty cages are placed into the cage washer and are cleaned with hot, pressurized water and chemical cleaners or sanitizers. Federal regulations require that cages be sanitized or cage-washed every two weeks.

CARE STAFF = Employees whose primary responsibilities include cleaning animal areas, feeding the animals, providing enrichment, and monitoring animal health.

CHOW = Commercially prepared biscuits of food fed to most non-human primates in laboratories. Nutritionally complete, but not very tasty.

DART/BLOW GUN = A pressurized "blow gun" used to deliver anesthetic to an animal from a distance. A needle and syringe with anesthetic is placed into a long tube, and forced out by pressurized CO2, driving the needle into some part of the animal's body (a large muscle, such as the thigh, when done correctly). Darting is a terrifying and painful procedure for the target.

DRESS OUT = Put on protective clothing and equipment to enter a biocontainment area. This usually includes a facemask and face shield (or other eye protection), latex gloves, hair and boot covers, and a sterile, disposable suit (such as Tyvek) covering the uniform.

ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT = Forage boards and fleece boards are examples of environmental enrichment. Environmental enrichment is a general term for attempts to alleviate the boredom and monotony of captive non-human primate's life, allow them to express natural behaviors, and prevent or treat abnormal behaviors such as self-mutilation. Enrichment consists of anything from social companions, food treats, toys, or destructible items, to additions to the cages such as perches, swings, and ropes, or devices which challenge the animals to obtain food or other desired objects.

FLEECE BOARD = A device used to allow singly-caged non-human primates to exhibit grooming behavior, also used primarily with monkeys. A fleece board is a metal square to which a piece of fleece or lamb's wool is secured. The plate with the fleece is attached to the outside of the monkey's cage, allowing the monkey to 'groom' the fleece through the bars. Food treats, such as honey and seeds, are sometimes placed on the fleece to encourage the monkey to use the device.

FORAGE/TURF BOARD = A device used to allow caged non-human primates to exhibit foraging behavior. Primarily used with monkeys. A forage board is generally a flat metal plate, which can attach to the outside of a monkey's cage. Secured to the metal plate is a piece of artificial turf (such as Astroturf), into which small seeds are sprinkled. The monkeys must pick through the turf to obtain the seeds, somewhat approximating foraging for small food items in the wild.

INVASIVE RESEARCH = Any biomedical research involving experimental infection with a pathologic agent or experimental surgery.

KETAMINE = Widely used in anesthesia and immobilization of nonhuman primates in research labs. Can be used in conjunction with Valium (diazepam) to offer more sedative effects. Nonhuman primates may experience nightmarish hallucinations during recovery, but recovery is generally considered to be quicker than with other agents. Ketamine is also believed to have a wider safety margin than other anesthetic drugs available. Costs for research labs may also be a factor - immobilizing drugs are needed in large quantities and appropriate alternatives are more expensive and/or not considered as reliably safe in terms of survival rate. Ketamine is not used very much in humans because of the horrible hallucinations experienced in recovery.

KNOCKDOWN = When an individual is anesthetized for a procedure.

LIXIT = An automatic watering device commonly used in laboratories. Lixits are attached to a main water line so that when properly functioning, water is available at all times. By pressing a small lever, fresh water is delivered through a spout. If lixits malfunction, the animals are without water, so lixits must be checked daily by animal care personnel.

MATERNAL DEPRIVATION = When an infant is removed from his mother and raised without her.

METABOLISM (MET) CAGE = Used in labs and zoos for giving treatments like injections to nonhuman great apes, and for the easy collection of urine and feces; also allows for simple monitoring of food and water intake. They are large hydraulically or mechanically driven squeeze cages (see below). They meet the standard cage space requirement for an ape (5x5x7 feet), but because of this restrictive size should not be used like some labs do for isolating or housing apes for long periods of time while on treatment.

NON-INVASIVE RESEARCH = When research subjects are used for behavioral studies, for example.

POLE-AND-COLLAR = A technique used by research staff in order to move a primate from one location to another, for example. The primate is trained to allow a collar to be put over his head and around his neck and then a pole connects to the collar, allowing the person to "steer" and control the monkey. This technique is not used with apes due to their strength.

PRESENT (e.g. for injection) = With proper conditioning, a monkey or ape can be trained to cooperate with a procedure such as a blood draw, injection of anesthetic, or medical exam by "presenting" certain body parts.

PROTOCOL = The methods used to carry out the study. For example, a study's protocol may include chairing, restricted diet, or weekly knockdowns.

RESTRAINT CHAIR = A chair that holds the primate's head, arms and legs in place. This restraint would allow a person to perform various procedures on the subject.

SELF-MUTILATOR = A nonhuman primate who is known to attack his own body parts with such ferocity that he does physical damage.

SEMI-INVASIVE RESEARCH = An experiment which affects the physiology of a subject but does not depend on disease transmission or surgery. For example, a diet study would be semi-invasive.

S.I.B. = Self-injurious behavior; includes wounding or hair pulling.

SOCIAL DEPRIVATION = A research subject is confined alone in a cage, but may have conspecifics caged in the same room. Subjects may have a social relationship with room-mates, but will have no physical contact with them.

SOCIAL ISOLATION = A research subject is confined alone in a cage and alone in a room, and has no opportunities for socialization.

SQUEEZE CAGE = A single cage that allows a person to pull the back wall of the cage forward in order to squeeze the animal against the front wall. The squeeze-back is typically used in order to give an individual an injection, for example.

STEREOTYPIC BEHAVIOR (STEREOTYPIES) = Abnormal, compulsive behaviors that are an expression of the stress that primates in labs experience. Stereotypies are often a direct result of trauma, confinement, and isolation (i.e. the deprivation of many of an individual's social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs). Some nonhuman primates exhibit highly repetitive and abnormal behaviors, involving abnormal locomotion (pacing, flipping, circling) or other movements (including but not limited to eye-poking, saluting, slapping, floating limbs (the individual momentarily fails to recognize a hand or foot as part of his own body). Finger or penis sucking, eating or smearing feces, excessive masturbation, and self-mutilation (see above) are also common stereotypies. Once a primate develops a stereotypical behavior it is very difficult to eliminate it.

STUDY = An experiment to which a research subject is assigned.

TELOZOL = This is the trademark name of tiletamine-zolazepam. It is widely used in veterinary medicine as an anesthetic/immobilizing agent, especially with dogs and cats. It is not as commonly used with nonhuman primates because of its more prolonged recovery period than Ketamine. In recovery, thrashing around is likely, but in private veterinary practice it may be preferred over Ketamine because of Telazol's lower incidence of vomiting. Often Telazol is used with halothane, a gas anesthetic. The dosage range for different weights of animals is more varied than with Ketamine.

TRANSFER BOX = see BOXING.