# Maintenance of the SPF Breeding Colonies at Yerkes National Primate Research Center: Husbandry and Management Core

> **NIH NIH U42** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $799,816

## Abstract

The AIDS research portfolio at Yerkes National Primate Research Center (YNPRC) has continued to expand
as demonstrated by a growth of approximately $12 million dollars (57% increase) in nonhuman primate (NHP)
AIDS research grant funding over the past five years. This growth in grant funding is accompanied by a high
demand for Indian-origin specific pathogen free (SPF) rhesus macaques as the animal model for this research.
YNPRC has maintained a colony of SPF rhesus macaques (previously with U24 support) in order to provide
these animals for HIV/AIDS research. This application requests continued support (now a U42 mechanism) to
expand the SPF colony by maximizing production. The application includes the Overview; Husbandry and
Management Core; the Viral Testing Core; and the MHC Genetic Typing Core. This grant will support a subset
of the overall YNPRC SPF colony that derive program income from animal assignment fees and per diems.
YNPRC will provide institutional support to cover remaining expenses for this colony as well as the remainder
of the SPF colony.
Management and Husbandry: To leverage the resources provided by the U42 to maximize production of
Indian-origin rhesus monkeys and facilitate allocation of these animals for NIH-funded HIV/AIDS research.
Viral Testing: To provide serological and molecular viral diagnostic testing in support of the SPF colony and to
maintain a colony free of diseases that impact AIDS-related research at the Yerkes NPRC. In this
supplement we propose to develop and implement molecular and serologic methods for detecting
SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in the SPF rhesus macaque colony at Yerkes National Primate
Research Center.
MHC Genetic Typing: To provide parentage testing, comprehensive analysis of MHC class I and class II
alleles, and to develop new techniques for detailed genetic characterization to support a genetically healthy
breeding colony and provide genetic information on animals essential to the animal assignment process in
support of AIDS research. In this supplement we propose to define and determine the frequency of
distinct ACE2 coding alleles within the YNPRC rhesus macaque breeding colony.
Achieving these aims will ensure the Yerkes NPRC SPF breeding program is healthy, providing the necessary
animals to support our HIV/AIDS research program using Indian-origin rhesus monkeys. The sustainability of
this critical resource to scientists performing preclinical studies using the rhesus monkey model will have a
positive, significant impact on the development of treatments to prevent or cure infection from HIV in people.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10203160
- **Project number:** 3U42OD011023-17S1
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Joyce Kimberly Cohen
- **Activity code:** U42 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $799,816
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2002-09-30 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10203160

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10203160, Maintenance of the SPF Breeding Colonies at Yerkes National Primate Research Center: Husbandry and Management Core (3U42OD011023-17S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10203160. Licensed CC0.

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