Thousands of NYU research mice destroyed in Sandy wake

Posted by Leanne Kodsman on

Hurricane Sandy wreaked major havoc on New York University Hospital's preclinical research efforts, inflicting damage that destroyed projects years in the making. The Daily News reports that thousands of laboratory mice drowned at a facility at E. 32 Street, near FDR drive, which sustained major flooding. Researchers used the genetically modified mice for cancer research and various other experiments, according to the story.


Hurricane Sandy wreaked major havoc on New York University Hospital's preclinical research efforts, inflicting damage that destroyed projects years in the making. The Daily News reports that thousands of laboratory mice drowned at a facility at E. 32 Street, near FDR drive, which sustained major flooding. Researchers used the genetically modified mice for cancer research and various other experiments, according to the story.

Sandy killed nearly 50 people, left millions without electricity and caused billions of dollars in damage, and the lab damage doesn't equate with losses of life, a source emphasized to the newspaper. The mice, though, had taken years to produce, the story notes, and the wreckage is expected to set back the work of several scientists by a number of years.

Most of the power that drives the research laboratories in that building next to the FDR Drive, including emergency power, was lost at 8:30 p.m. Monday. Many precious reagents -- special enzymes, antibodies, DNA strands -- generated by scientists and stored at -80 degrees and -20 degrees were likely destroyed, a researcher tells the Daily News.

Scientists are in a desperate frenzy to save what they can and transfer what can be moved to other areas of the hospital. In one case, scientists were rolling a big freezer -- the size of a big refrigerator -- to an area of the hospital with emergency power, the source told the News.

Even more alarming, thousands of mice that are used by scientists for cancer research and other experiments, drowned during a flood. It is unclear how the mice died, but the source told the News that many of these mice are genetically modified for certain research and took years to produce. It will likely set back several scientists' work by years, the source said.

"This does not equate to a loss of life, but it is extremely disheartening to see years of research go down the drain," the source said.

Innovative Research has reached out to NYU to offer assistance any way possible. With high quality mouse plasma, mouse serum as well as cancer plasma and serum material available, Innovative Research hopes to assist NYU by providing them the material they need at no cost. We encourage anybody else out there to assist if they are able to, so we can continue providing Results Driven Research.


    Innovative Research was established in 1998 after the realization that dependable, high-quality, and affordable research materials were hard to come by. Starting with core products like human plasma and serum, Innovative Research has grown to be a trusted supplier of all lab reagents, including human biologicals and ELISA kits. Today, we manufacture and supply thousands of high-quality human and animal biologicals including plasma, serum, tissues, and proteins.


Related Posts

Donna Schelby Named as CEO of Innovative Research, Inc.
We are pleased to announce that Donna Schelby has been named as CEO of Innovative Resea...
Read the Article
Innovative Research, Inc. Acquires Molecular Innovations, Inc.
Novi, MI, October 1, 2021 - Innovative Research, Inc. has finalized its agreement to ac...
Read the Article
And the winner is...
It is now time to announce that the $10,000 Grant for Post-Doctorate Research in the Li...
Read the Article

← Older Post Newer Post →

×