Here stands the Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility. It’s a place where animal science meets cutting-edge technology. The Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility or LARIF is a unique facility. It significantly enhances our ability to study animal and human health.
LARIF is located on the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush Campus. It stands alongside the world-famous Roslin Institute. This location represents the largest concentration of animal science-related expertise in Europe.
The University of Edinburgh has a successful history of large animal research. The Wellcome Trust Critical Care Laboratory for Large Animals paved the way. Professor Michael Eddleston secured Wellcome Trust grants between 2008 and 2014. These grants established the large animal critical care laboratory WTCCLLA. This led to progress in treating human pesticide poisoning and porcine pneumonia. These changes in WHO treatment policies saved thousands of lives.
In 2015 the Wellcome Trust awarded another grant to expand the facility. The number of beds increased. An integrated CT scanner was added. The facility opened as a UK resource for translational researchers.
The creation of LARIF further expanded WTCCLLA capability. This was possible through co-investment by the University of Edinburgh and CIEL. Capacity within its critical care unit grew. Its new location within LARIF offered many additional facilities. These included a 3T MRI, category 2 animal holding facilities and more laboratory space.
LARIF houses an unparalleled combination of resources. These include imaging, surgical, gene editing and infection containment facilities. It offers specialist capability for in-depth studies. These studies focus on the health and wellbeing of all major farmed livestock.
The Wellcome Trust-funded Critical Care Laboratory for Large Animals is also housed here. It supports the study of large animal biology. It possesses all the resources of a human hospital. Highly skilled specialists in veterinary anaesthesia provide round-the-clock care. They care for animals involved in studies.
Advanced medical imaging equipment is on site. This includes CT, MRI, fluoroscopy and ultrasound. It enables detailed understanding of anatomy and body composition in livestock. It helps monitor disease progression in different organs and their response to treatment.
Studies at the Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility also investigate human conditions. Large animal species are valuable biomedical models. They help in studying human diseases. They aid in developing new medical technologies.
LARIF embodies a multidisciplinary approach. This approach can lead to significant advances. These advances span medicine, veterinary medicine and agricultural science. It illustrates the positive effects of collaboration. Academia, industry and the government spread knowledge and expertise. They develop the technologies of the future. The Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility helps the UK remain at the cutting edge of innovation in agriculture.
The Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility supports the University of Edinburgh’s vision. That vision is “One health, one medicine.” LARIF offers advanced imaging capabilities. These capabilities advance neurobiology, anatomy and physiology in large animals. It provides capacity to study infectious diseases. It helps evaluate control strategies. It provides tools required for advances in immunology, neuroscience and developmental biology.