Region VI Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infections: Core E Small Animal Core

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The Small Animal Core associated with the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM) and Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (San Antonio, TX) will: a) assist in the development and implementation of programs of investigator-directed research that require animal models for testing therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics or increase our understanding of the host-pathogen interactions; b) train researchers and other personnel for biodefense and emerging infectious diseases research activities related to animal models; c) develop and maintain facilities that support the animal model research and training within the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research (WRCE), and make available these core facilities to qualified investigators from academia, biotechnology companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and other appropriate entities; d) develop models that will assist in translational research capacity for testing and validating vaccine, diagnostic and therapeutic concepts for biodefense and emerging infectious diseases; and e) provide and make available facilities and scientific support to first-line responders in the event of a national biodefense or emerging infectious disease emergency. Within this context, the highest priority of the Small Animal Core will be to provide standardized infection models for the WRCE and its associated investigators, as well as other national RCEs for testing new therapeutic interventions. Small Animal Core facilities will be available to investigators and companies outside of our region on a contractual basis. The core will develop new models and assays for the biothreat agents as needed for the WRCE that are required for the four proposed research themes, including the development of therapeutics for RNA viruses, development of diagnostic platforms, the development of vaccines for arboviral and emerging infectious diseases, and the development of vaccines for diseases caused by intracellular bacteria.