About Us
The West Michigan Regional Laboratory (WMRL) is a modern, state of the art facility, designed to administer the highest quality care for animals used in teaching and research projects. The laboratory is governed by a consortium between Spectrum Health and Calvin College. WMRL is located on the Calvin College campus in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
WMRL provides a variety of services for instructors and researchers, including:
- quality animal care - 365 days a year
- ordering of animals
- housing suitable for a variety of species, from mice to pigs
- training of instructors and researchers in a variety of techniques
- licensed veterinary technicians (LVTs) to assist in surgical and non-surgical procedures
- two large surgical suites
- state of the art laparoscopic equipment
- anesthesia monitors suitable for a variety of animal species, such as mice or sheep
- observation carrels with data access ports
- conference room/class roomre, conference, catering, and special event coordination
- hotel facility in Calvin's newest addition, the Prince Conference Center
The WMRL staff is dedicated towards providing humane standards towards all animals housed within the facility. To this end, all protocols involving the use of animals must be approved by the WMRL Animal Care and Use Committee (ACUC) before animals are allowed to be housed in the facility. The WMRL is inspected on a regular basis by the WMRL ACUC, state agencies, and the USDA, in order to determine compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. In addition, WMRL has signed an assurance with the National Institutes of Health's Office of Laboratory and Animal Welfare, which requires that all animals, including mice and rats, are to receive equal consideration for high quality care.
Tours of WMRL are available for individuals or groups. For more information, please call 616-526-8440, or send an email to wmrl@calvin.edu.