Genetics and Genome Banking Core

The Genetics and Genome Banking Core is a unit in the Division of Veterinary Medicine. 

The Genetics and Genome Banking Core serves a critical function in breeding colony management and genome banking of nonhuman primates. A major objective of the core is to perform genetic testing on rhesus macaques to determine parental relationships and to keep precise records of paternal and maternal pedigrees of all animals born into the colony. In collaboration with the breeding colony management program, this information is also used to assist in the design of breeding groups and to monitor genetic diversity among the colony’s breeding animals. Pedigree information is made available to investigators and may prove useful in cases where genetic relationships among animals may obscure research outcomes.

The Core is also responsible for maintaining a genome bank where dry whole blood samples, DNA, and cryopreserved primary fibroblast cell lines are stored. The Core’s inventory presently consists of 681 cell lines, over 11,000 blood and more than 53,000 DNA samples representing nearly 9,000 animals. These materials are made available to researchers upon request.

Contact 

Eric Vallender, PhD, director | evallender@tulane.edu 
Pyone Pyone Aye, DVM, PhD, assistant director | paye@tulane.edu 


Acknowledgments

When utilizing research resources made possible by the TNPRC Genetics and Genome Banking Core, please cite 
RRID:SCR_024615. For additional information on acknowledging Tulane National Primate Research Center resources, please see here.