Maintainance of an SPF Macaque breeding colony for AIDS Research

描述(由申请人提供)：杜兰国家灵长类中心(TNPRC)拥有美国最大的恒河猴繁殖群体之一。几十年来，该资源一直为美国国立卫生研究院资助的研究项目提供动物，是该中心成功研究计划的关键组成部分。由于TNPRC一半以上的项目是由外部调查人员发起的，这一资源对全国许多由NIH资助的调查人员的成功也是必不可少的。几年前，TNPRC确立了该中心只有无特定病原体(SPF)猴子的目标。朝着这一目标迈出的重要一步是在2001年授予这笔U42赠款，以提供资金，在TNPRC建立一个SPF印度裔恒河猴聚居地，为NIH资助的艾滋病研究提供猴子。在最初的四年里，大约有800只动物被招募到U42资助的SPF群体中。预计到目前拨款的最后一年结束时，该殖民地的动物数量将增加到1000只，达到最初申请的目标。这项申请的目的是申请资金，以支持平均900只SPF恒河猴，并在未来5年继续监测该群体的病毒状态。计划是将殖民地维持在每年至少能生产300个婴儿的水平。这将为NIH资助的艾滋病研究计划提供至少150只动物，并为替代繁殖者提供150只动物。从第二年开始，动物销售的收入将作为计划收入返还给赠款。这将开始过渡到一个自给自足的殖民地的进程，这将在赠款期间结束时实现。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Tulane National Primate Center (TNPRC) has one of the largest rhesus monkey breeding colonies in the US. This resource has provided animals for NIH funded research projects for several decades and is a critical component of the Center's successful research program. Because over half of all projects at TNPRC are initiated by outside investigators, this resource is also essential to the success of many NIH-funded investigators throughout the country. Several years ago TNPRC established the goal of having only specific pathogen free (SPF) monkeys at the Center. A major step toward that goal was the award of this U42 grant in 2001 to provide funds to establish an SPF Indian-origin rhesus monkey colony at TNPRC to provide monkeys for NIH-funded AIDS research. Approximately 800 animals were recruited into the U42 funded SPF colony in the first four years. The colony is expected to increase in number to 1,000 animals by the end of the last year of the current grant, meeting the goal of the original application. The objective of this application is to request funds to support an average of 900 SPF rhesus monkeys and to continue to monitor the viral status of the colony for the next 5 years. The plan is to maintain the colony at a level that will allow production of at least 300 infants each year. This will provide at least 150 animals for assignment to NIH-funded AIDS research protocols and 150 for replacement breeders. Beginning in year 2, revenue from animal sales will be returned to the grant as program income. This will begin the process of transition to a self-sustaining colony, which will be achieved by the end of the grant period.