RESOURCE LAB ANIMAL Volume 40, No. 8 | AUGUST 2011 253 The piglet is increasing in importance as an animal model in biomedical research, in part because its ana- tomy and physiology, amino acid metabolism 1 , carnitine metabolism 2 and immunological capabilities 3 are simi- lar to those of the human neonate. Research with human neonates is ethically and technically limited. Tissue col- lection is generally not done in neonates because it is considered too invasive. Although urine and blood can be collected from human neonates for analysis, mea- surements from these samples (such as concentrations of compounds or molecules of interest) are often poor indicators of concentrations in tissues 4 . Use of animal models allows an investigator to evaluate parameters of interest in tissue samples. When using piglet models, it is important that researchers design piglet facilities and develop piglet procedures that mimic those of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Here we describe a piglet NICU (PNICU) that allows researchers to model neo- natal care in the NICU by providing the piglets with the same procedures, environment and treatment that would be given to human neonates. Piglet work is carried out in accordance with the Guide for the Care & Use of Laboratory Animals 5 and the University of Florida Policy on USDA Covered Species. All work is approved by the University of Florida IACUC. The University of Florida is accredited by the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International. Detailed descriptions of procedures and medical records used in the PNICU are available online (http://borum.ifas. ufl.edu/carnitine/research.htm). PREPARATION AND STAFFING Before beginning any experiment involving the PNICU, we undertake extensive preparations including training of personnel, taking inventory of all supplies, schedul- ing shifts for personnel and creating medical records. The inventory allows the principal investigator to secure all materials necessary for the experiment in advance. Piglets for most of our experiments are derived on cam- pus by breeding and farrowing (or delivery via caesar- ean section) using the university swine herd, which has a carefully controlled medical history. Comprehensive training of the staff is essential. In our experiments, piglets receive constant supervision and care. This 24-h care requires two types of staff members: PNICU staff and laboratory staff. Like a NICU, the PNICU is staffed at all times by personnel whose sole responsibility is the well-being of the piglets. Thus, piglets receive not only continuous medical care, but also the opportunity to interact with a caregiver at any time of the day. Piglets form bonds with caregivers, often nudging their gloved hands and sucking on fin- gers. Fostering developmental milestones is important for both preterm human neonates and preterm piglets; our piglet program has adopted procedures to develop activities such as routing. Piglets’ developmental skills are encouraged by providing baby bottle nipples taped to the wall of the incubator for sucking, sterile towels for routing and lightweight plastic balls for batting with the snout. While PNICU staff members directly care for the piglets by providing 24-h monitoring, feeding and any other attention the piglets need, laboratory Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Correspondence should be addressed to P.R.B. (prb@uf.edu). Development of the piglet neonatal intensive care unit for translational research Dylan Lennon, Tatiana Zanganeh & Peggy R. Borum, PhD The piglet is an important animal model in biomedical research; many aspects of its anatomy, physiology and metabolism are similar to those of the human neonate. The authors describe a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for piglets. This unit allows researchers to model neonatal care in the NICU and can be used for a range of research studies. The authors hope that the model they describe can serve as a template for other investigators who would like to design their own piglet NICUs. © 2011 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2011 Nature America, Inc. All rights reserved.