The Mouse Room
Last Thursday, I got to close up my third week working in the lab by visiting the mouse room.On Thursday, I was taken to the mouse room to receive the proper training so that I can work with the mice. As I headed my way towards MCN III (Medical Center North III), I felt a rush of excitement as I would finally be able to work with the mice; a primary reason why I wanted to be a part of Dr. Kearney’s research project.
I was quick to learn that the mouse room had many strict rules in order to maintain a clean facility. They were very defined on what was allowed and what was not allowed. Everyone must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times inside the facilities and only designated items could be brought into the facilities. All of this showed that the Vanderbilt Medical Center is a really good place to do research at.
Once I entered the mouse room, I saw rows and rows of mice carefully stacked. Imagine being at a post office and seeing the many rows of P.O. boxes but replacing all those P.O. boxes with mice cages. That was what I saw. It was a fascinating sight: everything was so clean, well organized and it did not smell as bad as you would imagine. Overall, I was very satisfied with what I saw in there. I will be sure to give another update once more interesting things occur.