Mission

The mission of the Animal Resources and Laboratory Services core is to coordinate access of RCE investigators, as well as non-RCE investigators who would benefit from these resources, to the professional expertise, technical support, instrumentation, and infrastructure for animal modeling that are located at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis).

Aim 1

Coordinates access to a broad array of Core support in animal modeling.  RCE and non-RCE scientists are provided access to a broad array of animal modeling expertise and resources at UC Davis. This is facilitated by a centralized administrative structure, and skilled technical staff for the safe execution of Core-related research at each of these locations.

Aim 2

Provides access to comparative pathology expertise through Telepathology.   Innovative telepathology systems will be used to serve and link projects regionally and nationally. These systems enhance access to professional expertise in experimental and comparative pathology, and encourage collaborative interactions among RCE participants. The telepathology program fosters training in comparative and experimental pathology of infectious disease.

Aim 3

Provides collaborative expertise for animal modeling of infectious disease.   The scientific expertise at UC Davis is linked to RCE investigators to catalyze animal-related research in biodefense. Core activities foster collaborative interactions among scientists throughout the RCE network, resulting in expanded research that addresses the biodefense mission of NIH.

Significance

Through studies in pre-clinical animal models, this Core assists other investigators in the development of deliverables for biodefense, such as diagnostic systems, drugs, and vaccines. Significant features of this Core, that serve RCE investigators, are expertise and infrastructure for infectious pathogen research and telepathology tools for analysis and storage of data and for communication between distant sites.