Hera BioLabs, Inc. (Lexington KY) announced today that it has received Public Health Service (PHS) Assurance on humane care and use of laboratory animals from the National Institute of Health (NIH) Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW). This PHS assurance allows Hera BioLabs to provide contract services to NIH grant-funded researchers from academia and industry in its new state-of-the-art animal research facility.

The new vivarium includes mouse and rat housing rooms, surgical space, is equipped with an all IVC Innovive system, is 100% HEPA filtered, and staffed by ACLAM and AALAS certified veterinary team. The facility is specifically designed for genetically engineered models such as immunodeficient, humanized and transgenic rodents. Hera is utilizing its SCID rat as well as commercially available mice to conduct xenograft cancer efficacy studies and is developing humanized liver and immune system rats. Hera’s in vivo services include custom transgenic model creation, colony maintenance and breeding, and downstream screening services.

“Obtaining this assurance is a component to providing excellent research animal housing and care which is essential to our mission of delivering high quality research results to our clients” said Angela Arey, Hera BioLabs Vivarium Manager.