Resource Core for National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC) Years 21-25

Abstract (Resource) Established in 2003, the NSRRC is meeting the needs of the swine medical research community. The NSRRC provides a central repository service to the swine research community by importing, storing, and distributing swine biological resources. Not only does it assure that valuable models are preserved and are freely available, it allows researchers to satisfy NIH requirements for resource sharing, relieves the distribution burden from individual investigators, and provides genetic and health quality control. The NSRRC has served the NIH swine community over the past 3 ½ years by doing the following: creating 25 new models; importing 12 new models; rederiving pigs into the high health NSRRC building; cryopreserving gamete, embryo, and male and female somatic cell samples; distributing cells, tissues, organs or pigs to 73 investigators at 43 different institutions; providing training opportunities to undergraduates, graduate students, resident veterinarians, and visiting scientists; and sponsoring workshops that promote the use of pigs in research. During the funding period, the NSRRC will continue to: import existing swine models of human health and disease; rederive pigs to eliminate pathogens and health monitoring to assure maintenance of a specific pathogen-free status; cryopreserve and store gametes, embryos, and both male and female somatic cells to prevent future loss of valuable models; distribute expertise, reagents, cells, tissues, organs, and specific pathogen-free pigs; use state of the art techniques to create new genetically engineered pigs needed by the medical research community; and serve as a site for training and educational activities related to research employing swine models.