This application seeks funds for the construction of a new, innovative, energy-efficient, 1-story, 10,068 square foot (sf) primate research building, the Wake Forest Preclinical Imaging and Irradiation Facility (PRIMIR), in support of ongoing rapid growth in NIH-funded research at Wake Forest University Health Sciences (WFUHS). This new building will be located on an open site at the 200-acre WFUHS Clarkson Campus and will provide integrated space for specialized animal research. The facility will support 6 major research programs (Radiation Late Effects, Alzheimer?s Disease, Aging, Substance Abuse, Neuro-oncology, and Diabetes/Metabolic Disease); 2 national NIH-funded primate resources (the Radiation Countermeasures Primate Core, and the Vervet Research Colony); and two NIH research training programs, within the context of a research-intensive NIH Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (CTSA)-funded institutional environment. Beneficiaries of this new facility will include a nationwide network of NIH-funded investigators. We propose to include Imaging and Irradiation suites for three institutionally-provided items of major equipment, with associated control areas and computer network access. Associated animal holding areas, procedure space, a radioisotope ?hot lab? with hood and radioisotope hot cell, and radioactive decay & disposal areas (animal rooms and a cooler) are requested. Institutionally-provided equipment includes a Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) imager, a 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) instrument, and a six megavolt (MV) Linear Accelerator (LINAC). The proposed building also contains the following infrastructure and shared facilities: Open and ABSL-2 restricted corridors, security access controls, loading dock, compressed gas tank storage room, restroom/locker room, automobile parking, and landscaping. All proposed facilities will be designed and operated to comply with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (8th edition, 2011, National Academies Press), and guide for Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL, 5th edition, 2009, Centers for Disease Control) and in accordance with our long-standing accreditation by the Association for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC) and International/federal/state regulations regarding animal care, occupational health, and safety. The timeline for the proposed construction is five years, with an anticipated completion date within four years.
