California National Primate Research Center

What California National Primate Research Center does

The California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC), renamed the National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at UC Davis in 2026, is one of seven NIH-funded National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) operating as an Organized Research Unit within the University of California, Davis. Founded in 1962 as the National Center for Primate Biology, the institute operates a translational research platform built on a Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) rhesus macaque breeding colony of approximately 4,800 animals (plus a small titi monkey population), backed by nine-generation pedigree data, decades of BioBehavioral Assessment records, and an aged rhesus colony maintained for over 35 years. Its technology stack combines four scientific research units (Cardiorespiratory, Infectious Diseases, Neuroscience and Behavior, Reproductive Sciences and Regenerative Medicine) with shared core service facilities including the world's first total-body PET scanner for NHP imaging, flow cytometry, inhalation exposure, primate assay laboratory, and anatomic/clinical pathology capabilities, all operating under GLP, AAALAC, USDA, NIH OLAW, and PHS oversight.

The institute serves three primary constituencies: (i) academic principal investigators nationwide who access animals, cores, and a Pilot Research Program (grants up to $50,000 per project); (ii) biotech and pharmaceutical companies seeking GLP-grade preclinical NHP studies and translational models for drug development; and (iii) federal sponsors, principally the NIH Office of the Director and the National Institute on Aging, which provide core and project-specific funding. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining NIH core grant funding, NIA support for the geriatric colony, investigator-initiated federal grants and industry R&D contracts, fee-for-service access to core facilities, NHP sales via a dedicated concierge, and philanthropic donations through the UC Davis giving channel. The Pilot Research Program and Research Concierge Service function as primary demand-generation channels, while the seven-center NPRC consortium provides a national distribution mechanism for affiliate and visiting scientists.

Operationally, the institute functions as a public-sector research platform rather than a venture-backed entity: ownership rests with the Regents of the University of California, no equity financing applies, and there is no public revenue disclosure. Recent strategic activity has centered on broadening the mission beyond NHP-only research — most visibly through the 2026 rebrand to NBRI, the launch/promotion of the UC Davis NAMs Testing Center for New Approach Methodologies, and continued investment in non-NHP translational capabilities under the 3Rs framework — positioning the institute as an interdisciplinary hub that integrates in vivo, in vitro, and in silico research across the Schools of Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and Biological Sciences.

Name

California National Primate Research Center

Legal name

California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) / National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at University of California, Davis

Website

https://cnprc.ucdavis.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The California National Primate Research Center, now the National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at UC Davis, is one of seven NIH-funded National Primate Research Centers operating an SPF rhesus macaque colony of ~4,800 animals and fee-for-service core facilities to support academic researchers, biotech/pharma R&D partners, and federal sponsors in translational biomedical research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biomedical Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511), Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (6215)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances (2835), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071)

akta.pro primary industry

In Vivo Pharmacology (Efficacy/PD Models) (HLAGAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nonclinical Study Management & Regulatory Writing (IND-enabling) (HLAGAFAN), Genomics & Molecular Diagnostics (Trial Support) (HLAGAEAD), Cell-Based & Potency Assays (Bioassays) (HLAGADAH), Clinical Trial Informatics (EDC/CTMS/eCOA/eTMF) (HLAGAJAM)

Keywords

• Nonhuman primate research
• Biomedical research services
• Preclinical drug development
• Translational research models
• Rhesus macaque colony

Headquarters

HQ city

Davis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. NIH Core Funding Grant: Funded by grants through the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health as one of seven National Primate Research Centers; provides baseline operational support for the Institute's research mission.
2. Investigator-Initiated Research Grants and Contracts: Funding from NIH and other external grants obtained by Core and Affiliate Scientists for specific research projects, including R&D partnerships with biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
3. National Institute on Aging (NIA) Aged Monkey Colony Support: NIA, a division of NIH, supports the CNPRC NIA Colony of geriatric rhesus macaques (≥19 years) managed and supported for use by investigators nationwide conducting aging-related research.
4. Nonhuman Primate Sales / Sourcing: NBRI provides ethically raised, purpose-bred nonhuman primates to scientific organizations for ethical, regulated research purposes, accessed via NHP Concierge Services ([email protected]).
5. Core Services Fees (Flow Cytometry, Multimodal Imaging, Inhalation Exposure, Primate Assay Laboratory): Fee-for-service access to NBRI's core service facilities including Flow Cytometry Core, Multimodal Imaging Core (PET/CT, microPET, ultrasound, optical imaging), Inhalation Exposure Core, and Primate Assay Laboratory Core, each with published services and rates.
6. Philanthropic Donations: Gift/donation program via 'Support the NBRI' / 'Make a Gift to UC Davis' channels, supplementing grant funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at UC Davis operates a fee-for-service biomedical research platform centered on nonhuman primates (NHPs), offering purpose-bred rhesus macaques from SPF and aged colonies, core laboratory services (Flow Cytometry, Multimodal Imaging including total-body PET, Inhalation Exposure, Primate Assay Laboratory), anatomic and clinical pathology, genetics management, BioBehavioral Assessment, and translational research across four scientific units (Cardiorespiratory Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Neuroscience and Behavior, Reproductive Sciences and Regenerative Medicine). The institute supports preclinical drug development for biotech and pharmaceutical partners, GLP-grade IND-enabling studies, and academic investigator-led basic and translational research, complemented by a Pilot Research Program funding mechanism and the UC Davis NAMs Testing Center for New Approach Methodologies.

Product overview

The National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at UC Davis — formerly the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) — operates as a multi-service biomedical research platform rather than a single unified software product. Its offering is organized around four scientific research units (Cardiorespiratory Diseases, Infectious Diseases, Neuroscience and Behavior, and Reproductive Sciences and Regenerative Medicine) supported by a portfolio of fee-for-service core facilities: the Primate Assay Laboratory Core, Flow Cytometry Core, Multimodal Imaging Core, Inhalation Exposure Core, Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Services, Genetics Management Services, and the BioBehavioral Assessment (BBA) Program. On top of these services, the institute provides the UC Davis NAMs Testing Center (for New Approach Methodologies), a Pilot Research Program funding mechanism, NHP Concierge Services for sourcing purpose-bred nonhuman primates, and animal-resource product lines including the Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) rhesus macaque colony and the NIA-supported Aged Rhesus Macaque Colony. Training programs (the LAM Residency, Clinical Externships, and veterinary student rotations) round out the offering for the broader biomedical research community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primate Assay Laboratory Core (PAL Core) Centralized primate-specific immunology and assay laboratory providing immunoassays and sample analysis to NBRI investigators and external collaborators.
• Flow Cytometry Core Fee-for-service core facility providing flow cytometry services, training, and instrumentation access for cell sorting and immunophenotyping in nonhuman primate research.
• Multimodal Imaging Core Fee-for-service imaging core providing nonhuman primate imaging services including ultrasound, optical imaging, microPET, GE PET/CT, and the world's first total-body PET scanner for translational research.
• Inhalation Exposure Core Fee-for-service core providing inhalation exposure, aerosol administration modalities, and pulmonary function testing for respiratory biology and disease studies in nonhuman primates.
• Anatomic and Clinical Pathology Services Diagnostic anatomic pathology, clinical pathology laboratory, and histology services for nonhuman primate research, supporting translational and preclinical studies.
• Genetics Management Services Genetic analysis and pedigree management for the NBRI colony, providing nine-generation pedigree data for rhesus macaques to support longitudinal genetic studies.
• BioBehavioral Assessment (BBA) Program Standardized infant biobehavioral battery establishing baseline behavioral and physiological phenotypes at six months of age to support psychological-disorder and neurodevelopment research.
• UC Davis NAMs Testing Center Cross-campus nexus for validating New Approach Methodologies (in vitro, in chemico, and in silico tools) as model systems for human biology and disease research, involving academic, industry, and regulatory partners.
• NHP Concierge Services Sales service providing ethically raised, purpose-bred nonhuman primates to scientific organizations for ethical, regulated research purposes.
• Pilot Research Program Annual internal funding mechanism providing pilot awards of up to $50,000 direct costs (with 3-5 NHPs at no purchase/use fee) for biomedical research leveraging NHP resources at the institute.
• Specific Pathogen-Free (SPF) Primate Colony NIH-supported SPF breeding colony of rhesus macaques free of specified infectious agents (herpes B, type D retrovirus, SIV, STLV), established since 1987 to improve colony health and research quality.
• NIA-Supported Aged Rhesus Macaque Colony National Institute on Aging-supported colony of geriatric rhesus macaques (>=19 years) maintained for over 35 years for investigator use in aging and Alzheimer's research.
• Laboratory Animal Medicine (LAM) Residency Program UC Davis/CNPRC LAM Residency Program, established in 1974, preparing trainees for ACLAM board certification in laboratory animal medicine, with more than 70 graduates produced to date.
• Cardiorespiratory Diseases Research Unit Research unit focused on airway immunity, environmental air pollutants, lung physiology, asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, and wildfire smoke health outcomes.
• Infectious Diseases Research Unit Research unit studying HIV/AIDS, CMV, influenza, SARS-CoV-2, Zika, dengue, Mayaro, chikungunya, Entamoeba histolytica, and Rift Valley Fever using NHP models.
• Neuroscience and Behavior Research Unit Research unit covering aging and Alzheimer's disease, autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopment, and psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, loneliness, and social stress.
• Reproductive Sciences and Regenerative Medicine Research Unit Research unit covering NHP models for reproduction, development, pregnancy, gene therapy and somatic cell genome editing, stem cell transplantation, and tissue engineering.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship — parent institution and core — accreditation partner.

• University of California, Davis (UC Davis)flagship — parent institutionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1962The National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) is an Organized Research Unit at UC Davis. It is embedded within the UC Davis ecosystem with affiliations across the School of Medicine, the Weill Institute for Veterinary Medicine (referred to in the source as 'Weill School of Veterinary Medicine'), the College of Biological Sciences, the Center for Neuroscience, the Mind Institute, and the Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging. The Institute leverages UC Davis's top-ranked Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. In 2026, the Center was renamed NBRI to reflect the breadth of research conducted.
• Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care International (AAALAC)core — accreditation partnerOthersNBRI is part of the UC Davis Animal Care Program accredited by AAALAC, a private, nonprofit group that promotes the humane treatment of animals in science through voluntary accreditation. The entire UC Davis campus recently participated in an AAALAC site visit and received continued AAALAC accreditation. UC Davis is one of more than 770 research institutions in 29 countries with AAALAC accreditation.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)Others

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Yerkes National Primate Research Center (Emory University): One of the other six NIH-funded National Primate Research Centers. Competes with NBRI for NPRC consortium funding, NIH investigator awards, and academic/biotech research collaborations; offers overlapping NHP-based infectious disease and neuroscience research capabilities.
• Oregon National Primate Research Center (OHSU): Sister NPRC at Oregon Health & Science University with comparable NHP breeding and translational research programs in reproductive biology, neuroscience, and infectious disease; competes for the same federal grants and pharma GLP preclinical contracts.
• Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (University of Wisconsin-Madison): Another NIH-funded NPRC with overlapping aging/Alzheimer's and reproductive sciences research, direct competitor for NIA-funded aged rhesus resources and NHP-based translational grants.
• Washington National Primate Research Center (University of Washington): NIH-funded NPRC focused on infectious disease and developmental biology; comparable NHP services, breeding colony, and federal funding profile to NBRI.
• Tulane National Primate Research Center: One of the seven NPRCs, with strong infectious disease and respiratory research programs (notably tuberculosis); directly competes for BSL-3 NHP contracts and NIH grants.
• Southwest National Primate Research Center (Texas Biomedical Research Institute): Seventh NPRC, based at Texas Biomedical Research Institute, with comparable BSL infrastructure and biodefense/infectious disease focus; competes for the same federal and pharma partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Charles River Laboratories: Large publicly traded CRO offering NHP preclinical and safety assessment services to biotech/pharma; broader portfolio than NBRI but directly competes for the same GLP NHP contract research dollars.
• Labcorp Drug Development (formerly Covance): Global CRO providing preclinical NHP toxicology and safety studies for pharma clients; competes with NBRI for biotech and pharma R&D partnership contracts at a much larger scale.
• WuXi AppTec: Major global preclinical CRO with significant NHP research capacity in Asia; comparable GLP NHP service offering for pharma/biotech clients, particularly in toxicology and disease modeling.
• Inotiv (formerly Envigo): Preclinical research services provider offering NHP toxicology and research models; competes with NBRI for pharma contract research, particularly for IND-enabling studies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CNPRCresearch

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California National Primate Research Center