Frequently asked questions

Do you just operate a vivarium?

No, we manage over 100,000 square feet of research facilities. Our expertise spans animal husbandry, specialized HVAC, gas management, autoclave operations, and facility amenities.

In short, we provide your team with scientific infrastructure to keep your research moving forward.

Contract Vivarium vs In-house operations

Our vivarium facility has been designed and built to be an animal facility and provides our clients with a space to begin their research instantly. This allows start-ups to get to the research as soon as possible and get to the results that will help attract more investment.

Our facility has served public and private companies with their pre-clinical studies for years and we have the staff to provide animal husbandry services 365 days a year.

As companies grow with successful research, our vivarium operations grow too. Our spaces offer flexibility for pilot studies with 20 cages in shared rooms, or large development projects with thousands of cages in private holding rooms.

These offerings allow scientists to focus on science rather than HVAC infrastructure, air-changes, and staffing an animal facility for care every day, including holidays.

What does “vivarium rental” mean?

It means that you do not need your own vivarium operation, IACUC, or husbandry staff to do in-vivo research. We rent cage space in our animal racks with packages for a few cages or a few thousand. When you house your animals with us, our veterinary staff, our IACUC, and our husbandry staff all work together to make sure that your animals get the daily care they need so your scientists can perform their research studies with confidence.

Our pricing structure allows for flexibility, pilot projects and full-scale drug development. Contact us today to learn more.

What do we get with a typical vivarium rental?

On top of location that is convenient to all major freeways, transit, and bike lanes, Valley Bio Services offers a variety of service options and amenities.

Our vivarium services all include daily husbandry services, IACUC oversight, and an attending veterinarian. We offer partial rack rates for studies under 20 cages, affordable shared holding room rates, and private and shared procedure rooms. A popular combination is a shared holding room and a private procedure room so you have dedicated space within the vivarium to conduct your studies and store your equipment.

As part of a 100,000 sqft. CoWorking campus, Valley Bio Services’ clients have full access to two buildings dedicated to science and interaction. Our two break facilities provide coffee, tea, snacks, entertainment and a place to meet with other scientists or just relax independently.

Additionally, the Common Lab features a fume hood, centrifuge, freezers, and other basic equipment for all users. If you prefer to have a private lab near your vivarium studies, we have a variety to choose from and feature short or mid-term contracts.

Do you have laboratory space near the vivarium?

Yes. Valley Bio Services manages a 100,000 square foot CoWorking facility and we rent labs for startups that just need a bench to established companies that want a fully-outfitted lab. Plus, all vivarium clients have full access to the research campus amenities including conference rooms, break rooms and common use lab. This helps you keep your focus on research, not facility management.

For information on our current lab space availability, please contact us today!

More FAQs

  • Our procedure rooms each feature work tables, chairs, and a Class II - Type A/B Bio Safety Cabinet in which to do your work. We also supply biowaste containers, CO2 and isofluorene for your use. Our main vivarium area has a -80 freezer for all to use as well as a flammables cabinet. Carts are available to move animals from holding to procedure rooms, and PPE is provided to all users. Your animals are housed in our Innovive animal racks with individually ventilated cages to provide a clean, consistent environment.

  • Of course. You know your research plan the best and the equipment necessary to determine your results. All of our rooms have plenty of power for your use, and an optional private procedure room can provide you with a headquarters for all of your vivarium operations.

  • The quick answer is, maybe. We order animals on behalf of our clients from our vetted supplier partners. When those animals arrive, they are placed in their holding rooms and are ready for your studies within 2 days.

    For animals that arrive from outside our supplier network, we do provide a quarantine room as necessary. If you have the need for a dedicated holding or procedure room, we are happy to accommodate.

  • Yes, we provide sentinel animals in each of our holding rooms to help monitor the spaces for any pathogens that may disrupt your research. It is all part of our commitment to provide a consistent environment for your animals so your research is the only variable in your studies.

  • Our facility was designed and built for mammal housing, and we specialize in mice and rats. As we grow, our operations will include zebra fish to provide more options for your pre-clinical research.

  • Yes. We can acquire a wide range of models through our supplier network that can help you take giant first steps with your research. Our veterinary staff will work with you directly to determine the best models for you study.

  • Valley Bio Services offers vivarium plans for small pilot projects for up to 20 cages. This entry plan provides researchers the chance to test their science and obtain initial results without committing to a larger population study.

    We do have racks and cages for tens of thousands of animals at very competitive rates for enterprise scale drug development. Please contact us for great rates.

    Whether you join us with a few animals or a few thousand, we want to help you advance your scientific research in a facility that can adapt to your needs while providing the core infrastructure, animal care, and consistent environmental conditions.

  • Research studies should iterate based on results and strategic decisions, and we are ready to react with our partners. Our facility and husbandry team can grow with your study development or help adapt to a project pause or reduction.

    All of our agreements are based on short-terms and can be modified at any time.

  • Our Innovive mouse cages are individually ventilated and help provide our primary deliverable – a consistent environment in which you can perform your research. Each cage is connected to a rack-mounted fan that provides HEPA filtered air into the cage and the exhaust air leaves the building through our HVAC infrastructure.

    Innovive individually ventilated cages eliminate the cage wash process which allow us to maximize our spaces for animal holding and keep our staff focused on animal care. With individual air systems in each cage, immunocompetent animals can be housed in the same area as immunocompromised animals without the risk of cross contamination.