SUMA agreement that will boost the PCB-PRBB Animal Facility Alliance is signed

On Monday June 29 an agreement was signed between the Barcelona Science Park (PCB), the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) and the CERCA Institute that will foster the development of the PCB-PRBB Animal Facility Alliance. The creation of this alliance between the animal facilities of the PCB and the PRBB is part of the Integration Program of CERCA centres (SUMA) of the Catalan government, and aims to increase their competitive and strategic advantages.

On December 2014, the agreement on the alliance of the two animal facilities was signed. These are the two largest in Catalonia, if the resources of both centres together are taken into account, and they represent a total surface of 7,000 m2 (with the possibility of extending up to 2,000 more), 60 employees and 600 users. Through the partnership program SUMA, the alliance will receive a contribution of 185,000 euros.

Animal facilities are providers of essential services to the academic and private biomedical research. With this new functional unit, the "PCB-PRBB Animal Facility Alliance" aims to improve the quality, competitiveness and sustainability of the support services for biomedical research in Catalonia, promote growth and ensure financial stability of the animal facilities under a single operational management.

The objective of this merger is twofold: "Firstly to harmonise the management of experimental animal use so that everyone follows the same international standards of animal welfare and quality of research. And secondly, to optimise resources at all levels, facilities, equipment, personnel, and so on,” explains Juan Martin Caballero, director of the" PCB-PRBB Animal Facility Alliance" in an interview published in the latest issue of the Ellipse newspaper of the PRBB.

Another positive effect of the alliance will be to boost collaborations between different research groups from both institutions "thanks to the sharing of animal models, techniques and equipment, as well as the exchange of experiences and projects," says Caballero.