# National Ferret Research and Resource Institute (NFRRI) at University of Iowa

> **NIH NIH C06** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $7,241,940

## Abstract

While genetic mouse models have been the backbone of translational biomedical research for the past four
decades, mice often fail to model human disease due to species-specific differences in the cell biology of the
affected organs, as well as the evolutionary divergence of their genome. The ferret has proven an excellent
species for modeling infectious disease (including SARS-CoV2) and human diseases of the brain, pancreas,
and lung when mice have failed. The University of Iowa (UI) is the only location in the world capable of genetically
engineering ferrets with multiple precise genetic alterations previously only achievable in mice. This technology
has enabled the construction of genetic ferret models capable of fate mapping stem cell compartments (i.e.,
lineage tracing), modeling human diseases including those with humanized genetic loci, and conditional genetics
using Cre recombinase. A federally-funded National Ferret Research and Resource Center was formed eight
years ago, which provides services for the creation of new genetic ferret models, performing research studies in
ferrets, and the distribution of tissues and cells from existing genetic lines. This national resource has provided
services to more than 129 academic investigators,108 of which are outside the UI, and currently has 8 contracts
with biotechnology companies seeking to develop therapies for genetic and acquired diseases using ferret
models. These services have exceeded the capacity of facilities for both performing research in ferrets and
housing ferrets on the UI campus. This proposal seeks to design and construct a research facility that will house
the National Ferret Research and Resource Institute (NFRRI) on the UI campus. The proposed facility has been
designed to maximize synergy and minimize overlap with existing facilities at UI and will be adjacent and
connected to existing ferret expansion housing (referred to as the BSRF facility). The NFRRI will contain state-
of-the-art equipment for genetically engineering ferret zygotes and performing research in ferrets. Procedural
space will include a USDA-compliant sterile surgical suite and separate microinjection room for model creation.
In addition to wet lab research space, specialized procedural suites will accommodate nebulization, pulmonary
function testing, and specialized imaging equipment. The NFRRI will primarily provide services to academic
investigators outside UI and for-profit biotechnology companies, but will also provide ferret models for research
that will occur on the main UI campus in existing research facilities. Furthermore, the chosen location for the
facility has adjacent land for future expansion of research space and ferret housing with a long-term strategic
plan that recruits next-generation leaders of the NFRRI and capitalizes on existing relationships with for-profit
biotechnology companies seeking to develop therapies for human diseases in preclinical ferret models. The
short- and long-term s...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11233652
- **Project number:** 7C06OD034121-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN F ENGELHARDT
- **Activity code:** C06 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $7,241,940
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2022-09-20 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11233652

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11233652, National Ferret Research and Resource Institute (NFRRI) at University of Iowa (7C06OD034121-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11233652. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*