The Research Isolation Unit is managed by the University of Guelph Central Animal Facility. 

The Isolation Unit is designated as a Containment Level 2, Agricultural (CL2Ag) facility. The facility design incorporates a number of large animal cubicles to perform infectious research utilizing Containment Level 2 pathogens in typical agricultural species such as poultry, swine and cattle.

In addition to the agriculture applications, there are research teams working on using oncolytic viral vectors to treat a wide variety of cancers that affect both companion animals and humans.

To facilitate all aspects of this type of research, the facility has a post mortem suite and surgery suite as well as a highly skilled technical support team to assist researchers.

Research areas and outcomes

Our researchers are interested in solving the challenges faced today by our food animal producers including protecting livestock against bacterial, viral and parasitic infections that decrease animal welfare and production, and increase the cost and health risk to consumers.