Project Summary
In the face of well-documented ongoing shortages of nonhuman primates for biomedical
research and evidence that they may be a unique model for COVID-19, it is no surprise that the
demand for pigtail macaques remains strong and continues to climb. Since the onset of NIH-
support in 2006, the JHU pigtail macaque colony has provided 313 animals for biomedical
research, the vast majority of which was HIV/AIDS related. With 172 of those animals (55%)
going to NIH funded investigators at institutions outside of JHU, we have established our colony
as an important national resource of this valuable animal model. To meet the growing need for
pigtail macaques in biomedical research, we have developed a plan to significantly increase the
number of animals that we can house at the JHU Research Farm and further refine our
behavioral management of this breeding colony to improve productivity. First, we propose to
construct an addition to the existing Building 12, significantly expanding animal housing and
support spaces. This new construction will include animal housing space and innovative caging
for 120 additional animals across 6 harems. This addition will also house dedicated support
spaces, including an operating room, radiology room, flex holding space for convalescing or pre-
sale animals, and a cage washing area, along with personnel spaces such as a staff locker
room with connected showers, bathroom, laundry, and PPE donning/doffing area. Second, we
propose to install underground fiber optic cable and other network infrastructure to connect the
JHU Research Farm facilities to high-speed internet. This project will allow us to fully leverage
the soon-to-be-installed JHU-funded upgrades to 1) security and 2) electronic animal health and
behavior records. If this proposal is successful, we will better serve the NIH-funded research
community that relies on primate models in two key ways: 1) we will increase the number of
animals available to researchers and 2) we will evaluate the novel husbandry and behavioral
management features designed into the new building and share our findings with NIH-funded
nonhuman primate researchers and other national breeding centers.
