Our expertise to build your in vivo study

IERP supports rodent and fish projects by combining animal husbandry expertise, in vivo studies, biosafety, functional phenotyping and method development.

Our role extends beyond providing housing or equipment. Depending on the project, the team can contribute from model definition onwards, assess feasibility, organise animal production or housing, carry out experimental procedures and provide functional phenotyping approaches, as well as case-by-case analysis of complex or multimodal biological data.

Capabilities are offered within their actual scope and may require a feasibility assessment before a commitment is made.

→ Discuss the feasibility of your project

From the scientific question to an achievable study

Each project is assessed according to its scientific question, proposed model, biological and regulatory constraints, available capacity and intended timeline.

This approach helps define a suitable strategy: using an established model, adapting an existing procedure, developing a method or combining several IERP capabilities.

Designing and conducting a tailored in vivo study

IERP can support the development of a study from the initial question through to experimental implementation.

Depending on your needs, this support may include:

assessing scientific and technical feasibility
selecting or adapting the model
defining procedures and experimental monitoring
considering biosafety and containment constraints
organising sampling and longitudinal monitoring
coordinating with the functional phenotyping platform
developing or adapting methods

→ Design a tailored in vivo study

Producing, breeding and housing animals with controlled health status

The rodent and aquaculture facilities produce, breed and house models suited to each project.

Depending on the species and project conditions, capabilities include:

rodents with conventional or SPF health status
genetically modified lines within authorised scopes
mice, rats and hamsters
trout, carp and zebrafish
health monitoring and traceability
experimental housing under conventional or SPF conditions, and at A2 containment level when required by the project
quarantine and appropriate health statuses according to the species and facilities

The availability of a line, a health status or housing capacity is checked on a case-by-case basis.

→ Explore production and breeding capabilities

Studying host–microbe–environment interactions

Infectious disease research is a longstanding area of expertise at IERP, alongside numerous projects involving microbiota, nutrition, immunity, physiology and behaviour.

This cross-disciplinary approach supports models for studying the effects of biological exposure, an intervention, a microbiota change or an experimental environment on the host.

Tailored infectious or inflammatory models are assessed according to feasibility, required containment level and available capacity.

→ Study a host–microbe–environment model

Phenotyping, imaging and analysis

The functional phenotyping platform enables advanced phenotyping methods to be incorporated into the project.

Depending on the scientific question, the platform can provide in vivo imaging and multiscale microscopy, histology and 3D imaging, sorting and analysis of complex biological objects, and physiological and behavioural approaches.

Developments in data analysis methods, including image processing and analysis, multimodal data analysis and artificial intelligence, are available on a case-by-case basis through collaborations or R&D projects.

→ Explore functional phenotyping

Expertise that can be applied across models

IERP expertise can support infectious and non-infectious projects whenever the scientific question, model, procedures and experimental conditions are compatible with the infrastructure’s capabilities.

Work hosted or conducted at IERP includes infectious diseases, immunology, microbiota, nutrition, metabolism, reproduction, development, genetics, physiology and behaviour.

How do you choose the right starting point?

You already know your species or model:

→ Explore rodent models

→ Explore farmed fish models

→ Explore the zebrafish model

You primarily know which measurement you need:

→ Explore the functional phenotyping platform

If your project is still being developed, tell us directly about your scientific question. The team can direct your request to the relevant facility or area of expertise.