The University of Cambridge’s Large Animal Research Station was founded in 1933 on 18 acres of land from the University of Cambridge farm to study animal physiology and poultry genetics. In 2016, the site underwent refurbishment. The University built a new state-of-the-art theatre suite and experimental facilities and refurbished existing barns and shelters. The facility can house small and large ruminants, poultry, swine, and equines.
Current research at the Centre focuses on foetal and placental physiology, hypoxia and development, the origins of heart disease, cartilage or bone damage, repair, replacement, and regeneration, ischaemia reperfusion injury, anorectal fistula repair, control of viruses, and the mechanisms and later life consequences of intrauterine programming. The Centre also provides facilities for evaluating new devices used in human surgery and training in advanced or complex procedures or devices via external user groups.
The Centre includes the following facilities to support researcher needs:
- State-of-the-art theatre suite with anaesthesia cover, scrub-in, knock-down, and postoperative recovery and holding areas.
- Procedural spaces, including sample processing labs, chronic and acute hypoxia labs and control room, dark room, and post-mortem facilities.
- Cell culture, radiation, myography, and molecular biology laboratories.
- Barns with fixed and open-plan housing arrangements.
- 11 paddocks.