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Committee and Regulations

Marko Horb, Chair
508-289-7627; mhorb@mbl.edu

Lisa Abbo, Director of Marine Research Services, Veterinarian, MBL
508-289-7522; labbo@mbl.edu

Phil Alatalo, Research Associate, WHOI
508-289-2980; palatalo@whoi.edu

Lori Horb, NXR Coordinator, MBL
508-289-7240; lhorb@mbl.edu

Nina Hocker
nmwhitney@mac.com

Eric Jensen, Safety Manager, MBL
508-289-7424; ejensen@mbl.edu

Daniel Johnson, Animal Care Facility Manager, MBL
508-289-7288; djohnson@mbl.edu

Blair Paul, Assistant Scientist, MBL
508-289-7291, bgpaul@mbl.edu

Maia Theophanis, Laboratory Operations Manager, MBL
508-289-7272, mtheophanis@mbl.edu

Juan Diaz Quiroz, Research Scientist, MBL
508-289-7362, jdiazquiroz@mbl.edu

As of March 2026

Regulations regarding the procurement and use of vertebrate animals for research at the MBL

As required by NIH guidelines, all research involving the use of vertebrate animals (mammal, bird, amphibian, reptile, fish and fertile vertebrate eggs) and their parasites must have a protocol approved by the MBL Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) before the research can begin. Please completely fill out an Initial Application, Annual Renewal Application, or an Application for the Use of Parasites and submit it to the IACUC Chairperson six (6) weeks before the research is slated to begin. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee will review the animal use protocols and report their status to you. Important: Type or print clearly on the forms, answering all applicable questions in detail. Incomplete or illegible applications will cause delays in processing your request.

Be aware that before any vertebrate animals from another institution can be accepted into an MBL managed animal facility, in addition to an approved protocol, their arrival must be preceded by a health certificate signed by the veterinarian from the home institution certifying each animal’s lack of infection or prior exposure to disease-causing organisms, and coordination of animal import with the animal care facility manager. The certification for warm-blooded laboratory animals must be based upon the results of gross necropsy, and bacteriological, serological, histological and parasitological screenings. Researchers studying vertebrate parasites must simultaneously submit a separate application for the use of parasites. NOTE: By regulation, animals arriving without prior notification or health certification must be immediately destroyed.

All vertebrate animals require an approved protocol before they may be purchased. Protocols are good for one (1) year from the date of approval. Animals must be ordered far enough in advance to allow for quarantine and observation time (normally 48 hours) prior to their use. For behavioral studies, a one-week acclimation period is strongly recommended before first use. Please refer to the Purchasing Procedures for additional information.

Laboratory Animal Facility Regulations:

  1. When any animal is removed from the Animal Care Facility (ACF) it must be signed out. If the animal is returned (only with approval of procedures by the IACUC and the Animal Care Facility Manager), this must be noted on the sign out sheet and cage card. Record all other daily activity on the cage card. Additionally, if any animals are removed for euthanasia, you must write “sacrificed” and number euthanized on the cage card and the sign out sheet along with the date.
  2. When an animal undergoes any invasive procedure (i.e. injections, etc.), you must indicate this on the cage card. You must include the procedure type, substances injected, the amount, and area in which the procedure occurred. If these animals will need special care, you must notify the Animal Care Facility Manager. Post-operative care procedures are expected to be part of approved animal use protocols.
  3. No animal can be kept outside of the facility overnight unless approved in your IACUC protocol and by the Animal Care Facility Manager. Spot checks for compliance with this rule will be made.
  4. Approximately two (2) weeks before your departure date from the MBL, you must contact the Animal Care Facility Manager (508-289-7288) to discuss the disposition of any unused animals.
  5. Transportation and confinement cages are provided for use between the facility and the laboratory. You must use them and not the cage in which the animal is being housed, unless approved by the Animal Care Facility Manager.
  6. Animals euthanized in terminal procedures must be double-bagged and labeled with your name, room number, phone extension, type of animal, number of animals and date of death. Carcasses must be deposited in the chest freezer located in either Loeb G11 or Rowe 107. These bags will be periodically picked up and incinerated. Questions concerning disposal of animals or tissues may be directed to the Safety Officer (508-289-7424).
  7. If you need access to the Animal Care Facility, you must contact the Animal Care Facility Manager to arrange for a training session.
  8. Charges for the care and housing of research animals are made on a per diem basis, billed to your account, and submitted to  Accounts Receivable once a month. Please contact the Animal Care Facility Manager if you have questions regarding per diem animal care charges.
  9. You must comply with these regulations which are necessary to maintain our facility’s approval by the NIH and USDA. Your failure to comply could mean loss of funding for our research and courses, and/or loss of your access to the Animal Care Facility.

If you have any problems or concerns, please inform us. Thank you for your cooperation.

Marko Horb, Ph.D., Chairman, MBL IACUC