Indoor-Outdoor Housing Expansion of the TNPRC SPF Macaque Breeding Colony to Support HIV/AIDS-related Research

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT The Tulane National Primate Research Center (TNPRC) at Tulane University is one of seven National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and improving human and animal health, the TNPRC provides critical infrastructure and support for both basic and applied research. Its specific pathogen-free (SPF) rhesus macaque breeding colony, the largest in the NPRC program, has a census of over 4500 animals. The TNPRC HIV/AIDS research program is the Center’s largest, with 2404 NHPs assigned to NIH-funded HIV/AIDS-related studies over the past decade (63% of total assigned NHPs). The NIH-sponsored 2018 NHP Evaluation and Analysis Project highlighted the importance of enhancing infrastructure and expanding breeding colonies to meet the demand for NHP in biomedical research. This concern was echoed in the 2023 NIH-commissioned independent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Consensus Study Report on Nonhuman Primate Models in Biomedical Research: State of the Science and Future Needs, which emphasized the critical role of NHP resources in addressing public health emergencies in the United States and advancing biomedical research. The NASEM report called for prioritizing the expansion of domestic NHP breeding programs to address the increasing shortage of these vital resources. In response, the TNPRC, alongside NIH funding, has invested in initiatives to improve breeding colony management and expand infrastructure to meet current and future demands. A key component of the TNPRC’s long-term infrastructure improvement plan is the construction of additional indoor/outdoor housing facilities. These enclosures will enhance animal protection, increase group housing flexibility and capacity, and incorporate innovative environmental enrichment strategies. The proposed project, designed to align with these objectives, will construct indoor/outdoor enclosures to house and breed SPF rhesus macaques on the TNPRC breeding colony campus. The proposed project will ensure that the TNPRC remains at the forefront of advancing HIV-AIDS research and supporting NIH-established public health priorities (HIV/AIDS-related research) by ensuring a stable supply of SPF rhesus macaques, both at the TNPRC and across the United States.