Important Biological Features Introduction Nomenclature Behavior Anatomical and Physiological Features Hematology and Clinical Chemistry Reproduction Husbandry Housing Environmental Enrichment Nutrition Sanitation and Sanitation Monitoring Transportation Quality Control Identification and Records Management Overview Select Regulatory Agencies and Compliance Voluntary Accreditation Occupational Health/Zoonotic Diseases Veterinary Care Clinical History Physical Examination Diagnostic Imaging Diseases of Rats Disease Prevention, Treatment, and Control Detecting and Preventing Infectious Disease Anesthesia and Analgesia Aseptic Surgery Euthanasia Necropsy Experimental Methodology Restraint Sampling Techniques Compound Administration Other Techniques Common Research Uses of Rats Other Rats Used in Research Resources Organizations Publications Electronic Resources Equipment and Facilities Meetings Technical Education Vendors Research Animal Diagnostic Laboratories Research Support Sanitation Supplies Transportation Veterinary and Surgical Supplies

Cynomolgus (or longtailed) macaques (Macaca fascicularis) are used extensively as laboratory animals in biomedical research. Their use in Singapore, an emerging biomedical hub in Southeast Asia, is now increasing widely, with research subjects currently originating from Singapore, Vietnam, and Pulau Bintan, Indonesia. Limited data exist on the genetic and phenotypic polymorphisms and phylogenetic relationships of these groups, and the animals are used as research subjects without regard to potential differences or homogeneity. Here we characterize their phenotypes by using established primatology tools to detail morphometrics and pelage erythrism and saturation. Pelage analyses supported the Gloger rule, in which heavily pigmented forms predominate near the equator, with Singaporean and Bintan macaques having darker pelage than Vietnamese macaques. Morphometric variation patterns suggest a tendency toward insular dwarfism and correlate generally with the Bergmann rule, in which body mass increases with latitude and colder climate. Although the 3 populations all belong to the nominotypical subspecies M.f.fascicularis, phenotypic differences are evident and are valuable tools to analyze their phylogeographic history and phylogenetic relationships.

Timely and accurate detection of murine pathogens is essential in contemporary biomedical research. Cost, accuracy, and reproducibility of test results are frequent concerns when initiating an on-site serology program. This study was conducted to evaluate the advantages of on-site serology performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) versus pathogen surveillance conducted off-site by a commercial vendor. We divided 92 sentinel mouse serum samples and tested them in parallel for a panel of 10 murine pathogens at our institution and by an off-site vendor. On-site testing was performed with commercially available test kits and according to the kit manufacturer's directions, whereas serum samples for off-site testing were prepared according to the vendor's specifications. Results from the 2 testing strategies were compared, and a good beyond- chance level of agreement was demonstrated by means of the kappa test (kappa = 0.86). The turn-around time between sample preparation and results availability for on-site ELISA was 16 h versus 72 h for off-site testing. On-site ELISA demonstrated considerable cost reduction, ranging from 15.10% to 43.33% depending on the number of agents being tested. This study demonstrates the accuracy and time- and cost-effectiveness of on-site ELISA as well as its potentially valuable role in achieving more timely and efficient disease surveillance and control programs in contemporary biomedical research facilities.