The Southwest National Primate Research Center
Biography
Overview
The objective of this proposal is to continue support of the infrastructure of the Southwest National Primate Research Center (SNPRC). The SNPRC is located on the campus of the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, its host institution. The SNPRC maintains over 4,000 nonhuman primates, primarily baboons, macaques, marmosets, and chimpanzees. It maintains large breeding populations of baboons, rhesus macaques, and common marmosets. During the current grant period, the SNPRC provided resources to 290 investigators from 35 states. The base grant is composed of four types of components: Administration, Primate Resources, Veterinary Resources, and Research Resources. The Research Resource components and the research programs that utilize them are divided among four Focus Groups: Infectious Diseases and Biodefense, Chronic Diseases, Development and Aging, and Genomics.
The mission of the SNPRC is "To improve the health of our global community through innovative biomedical research with nonhuman primates." Consistent with this mission, the SNPRC is committed to translational research and is a partner in two CTSA applications that are in review. The administration, primate resource, veterinary resource, and research resource infrastructures supported by the base grant enable the SNPRC to be responsive to national biomedical research needs and to accommodate investigators who want to access Center resources for collaborative research purposes. Special, and in some cases unique, strengths of the SNPRC are a wide variety of primate species to meet diverse research needs;the largest pedigreed and genotyped population of nonhuman primates available for genetic research;broad research opportunities with the largest chimpanzee population at any National Primate Research Center;ABSL-3 and ABSL-4 facilities;research emphasis and expertise on gene discovery for common chronic diseases, development of vaccines and drugs for infectious diseases, preventions and treatments of neonatal diseases, and stem cell biology;and service as a national resource for genetic management of nonhuman primates.
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