Resource: Swine Somatic Cell Gene Editing Testing Center

PROJECT SUMMARY: RESOURCE SECTION The role of the Genome Editing Resource Section will be to produce, import, cryopreserve, validate, and supply unique swine models. These models will serve as specialized tools to evaluate novel reagents (Reporter models) as well as serving as models for human conditions (Disease models). The disease models will provide for fully-human target alleles to evaluate gene editing but will also recapitulate the human condition to evaluate therapeutic value, alleviation of symptoms, and therapeutic windows of opportunity. Additionally, the Resource Section will be responsible for procurement or production of animals and surveillance of biosecurity. The Resource Section will maintain breeding colonies and produce cohorts of experimental animals. Further, the Resource Section will be responsible for assembly and maintenance of BSL2 facilities for use by the Testing Section. Our group is ideally suited to provide this testing due to our unique composition of individuals that are experienced with pig production, swine biomedical models, operate successful labs that routinely test cutting-edge genome editing technology, and are associated with world-renowned National Swine Resource and Research Center (NSRRC) and the sunsetting Swine Somatic Cell Genome Editing Consortium Large Animal Testing Center. The Resource Section will have a significant impact on the overall Swine SCGE Center’s ability to accurately assess new technologies and further facilitate the ability to use genome editing in therapeutic circumstances.