Texas Biomed Science Report 2011-2012 - Texas Biomedical ...

Southwest National
Primate Research Center
O
n June 1, 1999, the Southwest National Primate Research
Center (SNPRC) became the first new NCRR-funded National
Primate Research Center (NPRC) established since the early 1960s.
The SNPRC brought a number of unique strengths to the NPRC
program, stemming from a long, productive history of nonhuman
primate research at its host institution, the Texas Biomedical Research
Institute. These unique strengths include the world’s largest captive
baboon population, the world’s largest and best-characterized pedigreed
primate population, the world’s largest group of geneticists committed
to research with and management of captive nonhuman primates, the
largest chimpanzee census of any NPRC, and a veterinary technical
staff experienced in the management and use of diverse species of
nonhuman primates ranging from chimpanzees to marmosets.
Since its designation, the SNPRC has enhanced those strengths
and has developed new ones, including a marmoset breeding colony
(one of only three at NPRCs), animal biosafety level (ABSL) 3 and
4 facilities for nonhuman primate research (the only ABSL-4 facility
at an NPRC), and a baboon gene linkage map (the first for any
nonhuman primate species). The SNPRC is capitalizing on these
strengths and is developing new animal and technical resources.
In addition, the SNPRC provides investigators opportunities to
select from a wide variety of species to meet their research needs. Large
colonies of baboons, macaques, common marmosets, and chimpanzees
are available, and our facilities and expertise are appropriate for
managing other species that are purchased for investigators when needed.
The SNPRC makes available to genetic researchers the largest
pedigreed nonhuman primate population in the world. That pedigree
2011–2012 Scientific Report
spans six generations of baboons, the first nonhuman primate
species with a detailed gene map, enabling whole genome scans
aimed at identifying genes that impact risk factors for diseases.
Overall, the SNPRC has greatly strengthened the biomedical research
capacity of the NPRC program. It has brought ABSL-4 research
capability to the NPRC program and increased ABSL-3 capacity. It
has made large numbers of primates of diverse species available as a
national resource, and has provided unique primate genetic resources,
technologies, and services to other NPRCs. It has strengthened the
emphasis on nonhuman primates as models for a diversity of human
diseases by bringing to the program a variety of multidisciplinary
technologies in research on common chronic diseases, neonatal
diseases, vaccine and drug development, gene therapy and stem cell
biology. It also brought to the NPRC program major chimpanzee and
baboon resources and sophisticated technologies for their experimental
use. The SNPRC also provides cost-effective primate resources
to the only region of the country that did not previously have the
benefits of ready access to a National Primate Research Center.
The SNPRC research programs are each assigned to one of three
focus groups that bring together all scientists who have shared scientific
interests. These focus groups are Infectious Diseases and Biodefense,
Chronic Diseases, and Development and Aging. Since each research
project is assigned to a single focus group, some investigators belong
to more than one focus group. This structure, administered by the
Research Resources Branch, fosters a high degree of interaction among
the various scientific disciplines represented within the SNPRC.
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