Use the ATRF
The Aquatic Toxicology Research Facility (ATRF) is a multi-user facility available for use by both Canadian and International investigators independently or through research partnerships with Toxicology Centre scientists. The facility was designed to hold most freshwater aquatic species under many different experimental conditions.
The ATRF was built on the expectation that it would become a self-sufficient facility that would generate revenue from facility users only to provide money for equipment maintenance and facility up-keep, not for profit. Thus, the ATRF runs on a cost-recovery basis and a minimal user fee is levied on each ATRF research project to meet this goal.
For more information on using of the ATRF, contact Dr. Markus Brinkmann (markus.brinkmann@usask.ca).
To contact the University of Saskatchewan Aquatics Manger, Olesya Hurksy call 306-966-6287 or email oleysa.hursky@usask.ca
Experimental Design
The flexible nature of the ATRF ensures that virtually any experimental design can be accommodated. Treatment tanks can be arranged as needed and water quality, temperature and photoperiod can be tailored to the requirements of the experiment.
Choice of Aquatic Organism
The exceptional water quality of the ATRF ensures that experiments do not have to be limited to using standard model aquatic organisms. The ATRF is routinely used to house and rear non-traditional aquatic organisms that are most suited to addressing the research question.
Examples of some atypical species collected and reared or housed in the ATRF include wood frogs, white sturgeon, lake chub, pearl dace, brook stickleback, white sucker, walleye and northern pike.
Aquatic Animal Husbandry
The ATRF routinely houses and breeds common laboratory models such as rainbow trout, medaka, zebrafish, fathead minnows and xenopus laevis, and can provide users with expert advice on husbandry and breeding issues.