Technical Services Unit (TSU) The Technical Services Unit is an on-campus resource that provides a wide range of veterinary and technical skills to support investigators in achieving animal research goals for a standardized hourly rate. DCM offers expertise across species housed on campus. Common procedures include, but are not limited to: Procedural Support Blood collections from multiple sources Tattooing and other identification methods Tail vein injections Gavage procedures IP injections Study Assistance XRAD and IVIS use and assistance Stereotaxic-related procedures Necropsy and tissue collection Indwelling IV catheter support Animal experiments, including ABSL-3 support Protocol & Lab Support Fasting, weighing, and special checks Study record keeping support Weekend assistance for study-related needs In-house CBCs with 5-part differential In-house biochemistries For rodent samples, whole blood in lithium heparin may be used for biochemistries in place of serum. Policies & Scheduling All work must be included in an approved Animal Use Protocol and follow IACUC standards, unless alternatives are explicitly approved. Submit requests at least 24–48 hours in advance; complex procedures may require up to two weeks. Work outside normal business hours may incur additional charges. After submitting a request, please monitor your email for correspondence from the DCM-TSU team. Questions?Email the DCM Technical Services Unit at DCM-TSU@ouhsc.edu. Request Technical Services
Colony Management Team (CMT) The DCM-TSU Colony Management Team provides expert management for maintenance, growth, and de novo breeding of transgenic rodent lines in conjunction with Transnetyx Colony Software. Records & Identification Record date of birth for new litters ACCR and permanent cage card number updates Animal identification Maintain animal census and cage location in Colony Upload new mice and cage information into Colony Weaning & Genotyping Support Weaning support Hydrogel and/or 76A DietGel when necessary Special health checks for smaller mice Biopsy collection, including ear punch or tail snip when required Submission and shipment of tissue samples directly to Transnetyx Breeding & Colony Support Culls New breeder pairing Timed mating and copulation plug checks Pregnancy checks by manual palpation as early as E10 on request Recommendations to improve breeder reproduction and reduce pup loss Transfer mice in or out of housing rooms for lab pick-up or DCM transport Best for breeding colonies Use CMT when you need ongoing colony maintenance, breeding support, weaning, tissue collection, or Transnetyx coordination. Need procedural help instead? Use TSU for research procedure support, sample collection, specialized checks, study assistance, or technical training. Ready to start?Submit the online request form and watch for follow-up from the DCM-TSU team. Request Colony Management Services