This renewal of our animal resource grant (P40 OD013117) requests five years of funding to continue support for a Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) colony of pig-tailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) at the Johns Hopkins University that was first funded in 2006 and renewed in 2011. It has the following resource component and research component aims: A. Resource Component Specific Aims: Resource Aim 1: To expand the size of the current SPF breeding colony to increase the numbers of females for breeding and males available for sale to NIH funded investigators both within Johns Hopkins University and at other research institutions. Resource Aim 2: To maintain the SPF status of the colony by regular serologic and PCR testing for 4 viral agents: Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 (B virus), Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV), Simian Retrovirus (SRV) and Simian T-lymphotrophic Virus (STLV). At present all of the current members of the colony have repeatedly tested negative for these agents. Resource Aim 3: To maintain pedigree and health data on all animals. This data is available on all of the animals in the colony and will be expanded as the colony grows. It is provided to purchasers of our animals. B. Research Component Specific Aims: To expand the genetic data available for pigtailed macaques to a) increase the research utility of pigtailed macaques and b) assist in genetic and disease management of the colony. This will be done through three research aims.
Research Aim 1 : To characterize pig-tailed macaque immunogenetics in detail via MHC class I and MHC class II genotyping.
Research Aim 2 : To characterize pig-tailed macaque genetics by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic marker mapping throughout the pig-tailed macaque genome.
Research Aim 3 : To establish the whole genome of the pigtailed macaque using long-read sequencing technology and de novo assembly, thereby enhancing the research value of this macaque species by enabling functional genomic approaches.
This resource grant supports a specific pathogen free breeding colony of pig-tailed macaques which are used in a variety of research studies involving human disease, but most commonly HIV/AIDS. Pig-tailed macaques are only being bred at two NIH supported colonies in the United States and the number of animals available for research is limited. Our resource has sold slightly over 50% of the male offspring born in the colony to NIH funded investigators outside of the Johns Hopkins University.
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