The Washington National Primate Research Center has announced its first Ignition award specifically aimed at supporting a New Approach Methodology (NAM) in a study. WaNPRC has long supported a 3Rs approach to reduce, refine and replace animal models, this award specifically names NAMs.
This project will create the first detailed “map” of the immune system in pigtail macaques at WaNPRC. Using cutting-edge technology called single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers will look at thousands of individual immune cells. They’ll catalog what types of immune cells exist, how they function, and how male, female, and fetal macaques may differ. The end result will be a “Pigtail Macaque Immune Reference Atlas.” A resource that can be compared to similar atlases already created for rhesus macaques and humans.
This atlas will be a powerful NAMs resource because it will:
- Enable computer-based predictions of how pigtail macaques respond to infections and vaccines.
- Reduce animal use by allowing scientists to model immune responses using existing data instead of collecting new samples.
- Refine animal studies by identifying when pigtail macaques are the best model, and when other models or computer simulations may be more accurate.
This project will help researchers make better predictions about how diseases and vaccines affect humans, while reducing the number of animals needed in future experiments.
“This study represents an important step forward in combining traditional primate research with modern computational tools that improve both science and animal welfare,” said Dr Adams Waldorf.
The funding opportunity was announced in mid-2025 and also supports collaborative studies between veterinarians and primary investigators. WaNPRC anticipates funding up to four awards per year and applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Here is the form for applications.