About
The Emory Gnotobiotic Animal Core (EGAC) is a member of the Emory Integrated Core Facilities. This cutting-edge core facility offers investigators the opportunity to experimentally manipulate the microbiomes of mice in a controlled environment to gain insight into important biological mechanisms. The Scientific Director of the EGAC is Rheinallt Jones, PhD from the Department of Pediatrics in the Emory University School of Medicine. EGAC operations will be overseen by a team of highly-skilled staff members that includes Caroline Addis,MSc Amanda Metzger,BSc RALAT and Chris Raymond, PhD.
The EGAC contains a number of 3’ foot wide rigid isolators (Parkbio), each with the capacity to house 16 mice cages each. In addition, the facility has a Tecniplast ISOcage P Bioexclusion system. These are airtight individual mouse cages with high positive pressure that are specifically designed for cage-scale germ-free, gnotobiotic, and bioexclusion studies.
Core Leadership
Rheinallt Jones, PhD
Scientific Director
Rheinallt Jones PhD is faculty in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University. He was awarded a PhD by the University of Wales for studies in Molecular Microbiology. He then undertook Postdoctoral research at Emory University under the auspices of Dr. Andrew Neish, investigating the pathogenesis of Salmonella in the intestine. He then initiated a research program focused on identifying the functional elements that mediate host cell and commensal microbe interaction in the intestine. He published pivotal discoveries describing how lactobacilli mediate their positive influences on health and disease. He employs a variety of methodologies including both germ-free mouse and Drosophila model systems, as well as sequence based microbiota analysis. The central goal of his research is to develop methodologies for the manipulation of the microbiota as a therapeutic strategy to treat digestive diseases.
Caroline Addis, MS
Core Director
Caroline Addis is the Operations Manager for the EGAC. Caroline graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Clemson University, and a Master's degree in Developmental Biology and Anatomy from the University of South Carolina Medical School. She has over 15 years of experience in research and husbandry methodologies within murine vivarium settings.
Core Team
Amanda Metzger, BA, RALAT
Assistant Operations Manager
Amanda Metzger is the Assistant Operations Manager of the EGAC. She graduated from Hiram College with a Bachelor's degree in Psychobiology, and has worked with mice in a research setting for over 10 years.
