FishCore

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FishCore

Building History

FishCore facility is funded by Monash University, ARMI, Victorian Government through the Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development.

Opened 2008 by Gavin Jennings, Victorian Shadow Minister for Health.

Location

Newly constructed state of the art Zebra Fish Research Facility located in the STRIP precinct, Monash University Clayton campus.

FishCore is a member of the Victorian platform technologies network.

The VPTN is a collaborative network of biomedical research facilities that provide state-of-the-art infrastructure and expertise to the biomedical, health and biotechnology research sector.

http://www.platformtechnologies.org/

Facility Infrastructure

Floor space

Total area of the facility is 624 sqm including a filtration plant room of 136 sqm.

Number of tanks

Total 6500 tanks: 1000 quarantine and 5500 main system tanks split across two different recirculation systems. Tank vary ranging from one to ten litres specifically designed for zebrafish.

Filtration

Water used for the quarantine and main systems are part of a separate recirculation systems. The water is recycled and cleaned via mechanical and biological filtration systems then returned to the facility.

UV Disinfection

Water Disinfection- Facility recirculated water is constantly disinfected via UV Sterilization using Hydro Optic Disinfection Technology, resulting in the inactivation of harmful pathogenic micro organisms System supplied by Atlantium Pty Ltd.

Supply water - Water supply consists of two Reverse Osmosis Water (ROW) systems supplying large quantities of purified water to storage tanks. System supplied and installed by Millipore Pty Ltd (Millipore.com.au). System is then dosed with a conditioner which contains mixture of different salts, minerals and trace elements essential for zebrafish care.

Monitoring - Online 24 hour 7 days a week environmental control and monitoring ensuring optimal water quality, light cycles, and plant room equipment monitoring provided by OxyGuard and Techno Lab.

QAP - AQIS certified quarantine facility meeting Class 7.7 Live laboratory fish requirements, allowing the importation of zebrafish from other research institutions and stock centers all around the world.

PC2 - The entire facility is a OGTR PC2 certified aquatic organism facility. Which allows the housing and creation of transgenic aquatic organisms.

Washroom - Dedicated washing facility used for tank cleaning and disinfection.

Food Preparation Room - Facility which cultures both Artemia and paramecium two different types of live food essential for early larval fish development.

Paramecium, small protozoan used as the first live feed fed to the zebrafish larvae. Cultured on site in continuous large quantities to accommodate large numbers of larvae production.

Artemia, a small crusteacean used as the second live feed for larvae zebrafish as soon as their mouth are large enough to ingest them, also cultured on site.

Juvenile and Adult zebrafish Feed: The facility uses the INVE aquaculture O.range of finfish hatchery feed improving both the health and resistance of zebrafish stocks.

Phenotype room

Microinjection stations
The facility offers three microinjection stations, consisting of pneumatic microinjector, micromanipulator, needle pullers and stereomicroscope.
There are also a number of standalone steriomicroscopes for embryo sorting., and
phenotype identification.

Incubators are provided for the first 4-5 days of zebrafish development before they enter the aquatic recirculation system.

The facility also has high end confocal and florescent live imaging microscopes available for use.

Additional Microscopes

If researchers have any other microscope requirements, the Monash Micro Imaging facility next door offers consultation, instrumentation, services, training, collaborative research and project development for a variety of microspocopy requirements.

www.microimaging.monash.org/

Zebrafish Histology

The zebrafish size and anatomical characteristics make it an ideal model for studying various phenotypes via histological methodology. The Monash Histology Platform offers a world class of histology service including high throughput histology of zebrafish.

This facility is also located next door to FishCore at the Monash University Clayton campus.

http://www.med.monash.edu.au/anatomy/facilities/histology-platform.html http:///

http://zfatlas.psu.edu/

Aquacore

AquaCore: Axolotl/Shark Core Research Facility to finish construction in late 2012.

Axolotl System
The axolotl facility will be used to maintain a breeding colony of a variety of pedigree axolotls. Facility will house large 1.5m tanks for large breeding adults, right down to hundreds of small larvae rearing tanks.

Research
http://www.armi.org.au/about_us/staff/james_godwin.aspx

Axolotl Research Links

http://www.ambystoma.org/
http://www.axolotl.org/
http://www.caudata.org/

Marine Research System

System will house a broodstock of Epaulette sharks Hemiscyllium ocellatum and an incubation system for the Elephant shark Callorhinchus milii embryos.

Aquacore will also include multiple marine tanks ranging in size with the capability to house other tropical and temperate water marine species.

Glass aquaria ranging from 10L right through to 1000L

Round polyethylene tanks 100L to 5000L

Research
http://www.armi.org.au/about_us/staff/catherine_anne_boisvert.aspx