Plateforme d'Imagerie Préclinique du Petit Animal (PIPPA) & CIBM Centre d'Imagerie Biomédicale, Section PET HUG-UNIGE
Non-invasive preclinical imaging is a helpful tool for biomedical research due to its capability of obtaining longitudinal specific 3D data in an increasing number of reliable small animal models of disease. Small animal imaging is a perfect bridge between the “bench and the bedside” and is thus an invaluable method to increase the power of translational research. In line with the 3R principle (Replace, Reduce, Refine), non-invasive molecular imaging allows to obtain large amounts of data from a single animal thus reducing the number of animals needed for a given experiment.
The small animal preclinical imaging platform of the Medical Faculty of Geneva is located at the 6th floor of BATLab of the University Hospitals of Geneva. The infrastructure complies with the OFSP radiation protection safety rules and the specific-pathogen-free (SPF)-like animal housing procedures of the Medical Faculty animal production facility, allowing longitudinal imaging with intermediate housing.
The mission of the small animal preclinical imaging platform is to provide state-of-the-art in vivo imaging to researchers of the University of Geneva and to external collaborators upon request. Thanks to a wide range of imaging modalities dedicated to small animals (e.g. rodents, rabbits), we aim to support translational and preclinical research projects.
The platform will assist in:
- designing studies including FormA writing and grant preparation;
- imaging animals including injection, small surgery, training of users for self-service use of the scanners and performing scans for core-operated scans;
- analysing images including training of users to software (user-operated), analysing images for users (core-operated) and presenting image analyses.
The platform gives access to:
- two SPF-like short-term rodents housing rooms used to house animals before imaging and after for radioactive decay;
- an animal preparation room dedicated to injection, small surgery, spf-like preparation of animals;
- a scanner room for imaging with a 3T MRI scanner (Nanoscan, Mediso), a High resolution X-Ray CT scanner (Quantum GX, PerkinElmer), an Optical scanner (IVIS Spectrum, PerkinElmer) and the Center for BioMedical Imaging PET/SPECT/CT scanner (Triumph, Trifoil; CIBM);
- an in vitro radiobiology lab dedicated to in vitro cell culture, information upon request;
- an ex vivo radiobiology lab dedicated to ex vivo imaging (cryosectioning, autoradiography) and quantification (γ-counter), information upon request;
- an image analysing room giving access to users to the main analysing licensed software used worldwide (e.g. Osirix, Vivoquant, Analyze).
