Pre-clinical imaging facility

The pre-clinical imaging facility provides housing and husbandry services for laboratory animals used in imaging procedures at ICNAS. The facility serves as a platform for researchers that intend to perform animal experiments at the centre and can provide a range of services that include animal care, imaging with PET, SPECT and MRI (including hybrid studies) as well as image processing/quantification and biodistribution. 

The available animal facilities include individual rooms for quarantine, mice, rats, imaging, and an acoustic room for behaviour and vocalization studies.   The Animal Facility is licensed by the National Authority  Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária (DGAV). All personnel is certified according to European and Portuguese legislation and all procedures are done according to national and European guidelines in animal welfare.  Animal users must had complete trainings accredited by DGAV, that include: (1) performing procedures on animals, (2) design of procedures and projects, (3) care of animals and (4) occasion of animals (DL.113/2013). 

Entrance into the animal facilities is limited to staff and students with biometric registration approved by management team and ORBEA. It is mandatory that all personnel wear appropriate protective clothing and equipment while working with animals and equipment’s inside the animal facility.

We contribute to better research, based on high ethical standards and humane treatment of animals. Our services contribute to reproducible and reliable research data based on good scientific methods.

ICNAS-UC is a signatory to the Transparency Agreement on Animal Research in Portugal. This is an initiative promoted by the Portuguese Society for Science in Laboratory Animals (SPCAL) in collaboration with the European Animal Research Association (EARA) to promote transparency on the use of animals in biomedical research in our country.