Centre for Macaques (CFM) Core Funding

Macaques are primates which have similarities to humans in terms of their central nervous system (including the visual system), and their immunology and reproductive systems. This means that they continue to be used in some areas of research where there are no alternative approaches. They are used in basic and applied research within the academic sector in the UK, funded by the major grant-giving bodies.

The MRC Centre for Macaques is a primate breeding unit established in 2003 to house and breed rhesus macaques, funded by the MRC with support from the Wellcome Trust.
The unit houses about 250 animals, which includes breeding stock and youngsters. The breeding programme is carefully planned so that supply and demand are matched. By maintaining breeding families of macaques at CFM it is not necessary to import animals for UK research and therefore guarantee high husbandry and care standards.
The staff and collaborators of CFM are also engaged in many studies of the behaviour of macaques aimed at not only improving macaques welfare and husbandry standards but informing future primate scientific studies .
Primates are sourced from CFM by UK universities and primate tissue samples are also available for academic and commercial collaborators.