Experience Highlights - Biomedical Research Services

SoBran provides diverse technical services to support world class research that impacts the health of people around the world. We support many top tier research programs, including many of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Institutes and Centers.

NIH Clinical Center and Critical Care Medicine Division:

SoBran provides high-level scientists and veterinary technical support. Personnel design and conduct infectious disease experiments and provide technical and surgical support. Recent efforts include surgical support and monitoring of rat heart transplantation rejection and infection, and studies on sepsis and toxic shock.

NIH Division of Veterinary Resources (DVR):

SoBran provides animal husbandry and facility management services for this farm and research area that also serves as the primary NIH quarantine. We work with DVR in advising researchers on selection of appropriate animal models, animal health, nutrition, behavior, reproduction and humane care, and participate in collaborative research. DVR supports all of the NIH Institutes, with research encompassing aging, infectious diseases, cancer, behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, and organ transplantation. SoBran provides animal care and research support services to 15 facilities on two campuses, employing approximately 160 personnel.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Research Center (VRC):

SoBran provides animal husbandry and technical support to VRC scientists in a variety of test protocols, and assist VRC scientists in developing candidate vaccines for West Nile virus, Small Pox, and HIV infection. SoBran provides IACUC administration support and specialized rodent breeding and transportation arrangements.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Directorate of Intramural Research, CMB:

SoBran provides technical, scientific and support services for seven research facilities, including several Animal Bio-Safety Level 3 (ABSL-3) suites. We provide environmental monitoring; animal health surveillance; environmental enrichment; veterinary medical services; pathology support; and quality assurance, facility inspection and certification support. We support hundreds of research protocols, assisting NIAID scientific staff with specialized technical services such as rederivation techniques, embryo transfer, specialized breeding, and intricate laboratory testing.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases:

SoBran provides animal husbandry and technical services to supports diabetes research, and has assisted investigators in combining drug therapy to prevent progression of prostate enlargement for high-risk surgery.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases:

SoBran provides animal husbandry, veterinary, technical, and administrative support for research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:

SoBran's skilled primate technical experts, including behavioral scientists, perform daily observation, medication, socialization support and technical services to several laboratories. Employees monitor genetic changes to protect the brain against a second, larger stroke in primates, and have assisted scientists who developed the first yeast model of Parkinson's disease, enabling description of an important gene's role in the disease.