Recent advances in genome-based technologies, coupled with the sequencing of the human genome, promise to usher in a new era in human biomedical research. The question now arises as to how can similar technologies be applied to nonhuman primates and what benefits can be expected from doing so. Thus, the Washington Regional Primate Research Center (WaRPRC) is applying to the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) for funds to establish a Primate Genomics Resource. This resource will be devoted to the application of genome-based technologies to research on nonhuman primates. It is anticipated that this resource will be of great value to researchers at the Regional Primate Research Centers and to a wide range of scientists interested in comparative genomics and the use of nonhuman primates as models for reproduction, development, infection, and disease.
The Specific Aims of this application are to: (1) Build resources for comparative primate genomics. Included in this aim will be the construction of a BAC genomic library from rhesus macaque; and cDNA libraries from rhesus macaque T cells, hepatocytes, placenta, and brain, for expressed sequence tag (EST) sequencing and construction of microarrays. (2) Construct nonhuman primate cDNA microarrays and compare gene expression profiles between human and nonhuman primates. Human and nonhuman primate cDNA microarrays will be used to examine gene expression patterns in a variety of cell types. These microarrays will be an important resource for investigators interested in examining differential gene expression in nonhuman primate cells and tissues. (3) Develop bioinformatics resources for the storage, interpretation, and dissemination of primate genomics data. Bioinformatics resources will include the development and support of biological imaging software for microarray analysis, as well as software for subsequent data analysis and interpretation. In addition, resources will be developed for the storage and management of all nucleotide sequence and expression data and for the dissemination of these data to any researchers interested in primate genomics. A persistent theme of this effort will be to display data in a fashion to facilitate comparisons between human and nonhuman primates.
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